Why Mac Allister says it is difficult to learn from Messi

He has won the World Cup and the Copa América alongside Lionel Messi. Yet, even after watching Messi up close for four years, Alexis Mac Allister still finds himself amazed.

According to the Argentine midfielder, what Messi does is not only difficult to learn from but almost impossible to replicate.

Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening match of this World Cup. Speaking to reporters in Dallas about the 38-year-old's performance, Mac Allister said Messi's footballing brilliance can be explained, but it cannot be imitated.

The 27-year-old midfielder said, “I really enjoy being around Leo. There will never be another player like him. Watching him play from close quarters is a completely different experience. The things he does are not normal. From my side, I just try to make the most of it.”

By that, he means the game becomes much easier when Messi is around. However, while there is much to learn from Messi's football, Mac Allister believes putting those lessons into practice is virtually impossible.

“It is very difficult to learn from what he does because you may understand the idea in your head, but you will never be able to reproduce it exactly on the turf. What I learn from him are his values and his humility,” he said.

Messi scored all of Argentina's goals in the win over Algeria. Mac Allister played a key role in building attacks for at least two of the three goals. In particular, there was considerable discussion after the match about the way he let the ball run through for Messi for the opening goal. Many viewed it as a clever move on his part.

Mac Allister, however, insisted he knew from the beginning that the ball was not intended for him. “For the first goal, I was positioned between two lines. I saw Leo behind me. Many people have talked about me leaving the ball, but anyone who has played football will understand that, judging by the pace of Rodrigo's (De Paul) pass, I knew it was not meant for me,” he said.

Argentina will play their second group-stage match today at 11:00 pm Bangladesh time.