Sports

Messi missing as Ter Stegen picks his Dream XI

Published

3 years ago

March 21, 2022

Most people would accept that Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players of all time, if not the best, but one former teammate hasn’t even included the forward in an XI of players he’s played with..

Messi isn’t exactly having a good first season at Paris Saint-Germain, after leaving Barcelona for the Ligue 1 giants in the summer.

The 34-year-old has only scored two goals in the league all season and since the team crashed out of the Champions League, thanks to Karim Benzema’s brilliant hat-trick, Messi has been booed by the fans.

However, despite his recent troubles, there’s no doubt that the seven time Ballon d’Or winner is one of the best to ever step on the pitch, no matter where you have him on your list.

Most people would put him in their dream XI but Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen didn’t put him in his team made up of players he’s played alongside, either for club or country.

Ter Stegen's dream XI of players he played with for club and country. [dfb] pic.twitter.com/gy5y5ATyUQ
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 20, 2022

Ter Stegen’s rather narrow team sees him pick Germany pair Mario Gotze and Marco Reus in the attacking positions ahead of former Barca teammate Messi.

Whilst the two Germans are very talented, it would be a stretch to pick either of them ahead of the PSG forward based only on their ability.

It’s well known that Ter Stegen and Messi didn’t really see eye-to-eye during their time together at the Camp Nou, with the former Borussia Monchengladbach keeper admitting as much last year.

In his farewell message to the 5ft 6in maestro, Ter Stegen said, “Although from time to time we did not share the same opinion, we always went in the same direction and each of us grew as a person regardless of winning or losing.”

Which is hardly ‘good bye my best mate, I’m gonna miss you loads.’

Just over two years ago, as Barca were coming apart at the seams and the senior management were blaming players for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde, the two players clashed at training.

At first the reports were just that there’d been a big falling out between two players, before Messi and Ter Stegen were named as the two men involved.

Things never really got better at the Nou Camp until Xavi turned up at the end of last year, now their run of form has taken them into third in La Liga.

Ter Stegen no doubt is enjoying life around the club more now Messi has gone, and probably won’t be shedding any tears at his former colleague’s current situation.