World Cup 2026 / Algeria: Adil Boulbina opens up about Lionel Messi

Boulbina's remarkable comments on Lionel Messi

Africa 20 June 2026 at 08:45

Add Foot Africa on Google

World Cup 2026 / Algeria: Adil Boulbina opens up about Lionel Messi

After the clash against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, Adil Boulbina expressed his admiration for Lionel Messi's genius and offered a fascinating analysis of his football intelligence on the pitch.

Coming on in the 81st minute to replace Ibrahim Maza during the duel between Algeria and Argentina, Adil Boulbina had the opportunity to share the field with Lionel Messi and closely observe every move of the Argentine legend. The question was inevitable, and the Algerian international forward agreed to answer it for the special correspondents of Compétition media.

Indeed, Boulbina did not hide his admiration for the former FC Barcelona star, especially highlighting his game intelligence:

"Messi? On the pitch, he gives the impression of just walking, as if he doesn’t care about anything. Sometimes you even see him pretending to scratch his head, looking unfazed, or rubbing his face. In reality, during all that, he’s watching the game, thinking, scanning the open spaces."

However, the Algerian player continued his analysis by emphasizing the cunning of the world champion, who is able to anticipate the areas to exploit before asking for the ball and making the difference.