Barcelona fans enjoying Javier Mascherano’s brilliant World Cup performances in midfield for Argentina have probably been asking themselves the same question - why doesn’t he play there for us?
After he moved to La Liga from Liverpool in 2010, then-Barca coach Pep Guardiola converted Mascherano into a centre back, where he has sometimes looked out of his depth and his lack of height is a severe handicap.
The player nicknamed “Jefecito” (Little Chief) still plays in his old midfield holding role for his country and his hugely impressive displays in Brazil are a big reason why Argentina are preparing to play in Sunday’s final against Germany.
“It was Mascherano and 10 others,” former Argentina captain Diego Maradona said after Wednesday’s semi-final victory on penalties over the Netherlands.
Although his team mate Lionel Messi has been grabbing most of the headlines, the tireless Mascherano has been perhaps the best performer in his position at the World Cup and is a calm and reliable presence at the heart of the Argentine team.
He covers immense swathes of the pitch, rarely misplaces a pass, looks comfortable moving forward with the ball and is a ferocious tackler, likened to a “pitbull” by Maradona.