After reuniting with former Barcelona star Lionel Messi on international duty, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister revealed the ‘details’ that he and his Argentine teammates respect most about him.

The youngsters of today, they said, “grew up watching him play, and there are a lot of us. He told La Nacion, “I believe that’s part of the key: adoration from the outside, and then admiration for who he is as a person, for the serenity he communicates, for the subtle things he has as a leader.

Being a world champion and realizing he would not be able to play in Bolivia, he instead celebrated his son’s birthday with us in the mountains. These are not inconsequential alterations; rather, they enhance the overall significance.

Perhaps the general public isn’t all that curious, but if anything, this is the extent of his desire to back us up. I’m not one to dwell on the past, but it’s clear that Leo endured great hardship when it wasn’t his time to triumph; seeing him celebrate now is a source of immeasurable happiness. I doubt we’ll be able to quantify it until much later on. We beat the world champion with the finest player in the world.

In the grand scheme of things, Mac Allister has emerged as a pivotal member of the Argentine national squad, having been instrumental in La Albiceleste’s third World Cup victory, won in Qatar in December. Mac Allister, who was still playing for Brighton and Hove Albion, contributed to the team’s championship victory with a goal and an assist.