Lionel Messi is a ‘great liar’ and better than Diego Maradona at truco, says former Argentina assistant

Lionel Messi is a “terrible liar” at the card game truco and is better at it than Diego Armando Maradona, according to former Argentina assistant coach Julian Camino.

Camino was speaking to Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports after Messi’s emotional farewell to the Argentina national team, which ended with a 3-0 victory over Benin at the Monumental.

The former assistant to Alejandro Sabella, who worked with Argentina between 2011 and 2014, recalled some of his fondest memories of Messi away from the football pitch. They centred on games of truco, one of the most popular card games in Argentina and across South America.

“The truco games we used to play are the best memories for me,” Camino said. “We were with him, the best in the world.”

Camino said Messi’s approach made him particularly difficult to face at the table, claiming the forward was skilled at bluffing and putting pressure on his opponents.

“He is a terrible liar, and on top of that he rushes you. He rushes you,” Camino said.

“We wanted to play against the clock and he did not. His watch costs $300,000 and ours cost $20, ha.”

Camino also played alongside Maradona during his own international career and faced the former Argentina captain in truco matches. Asked to compare the two football legends in the game, he had no hesitation in choosing Messi.

“With Diego, and with Diego’s father, Diego’s father and father-in-law were both amazing,” he said. “At their peak, you cannot imagine how those two played truco.

“But at truco, Messi is better, without any doubt. He is a great liar.”

The comments offered a less familiar glimpse of Messi’s personality and recalled the close relationships built within Argentina’s national-team camps.

Camino was part of Sabella’s coaching staff during the period from 2011 to 2014, when he worked alongside players including Messi. His memories of truco contrast the younger forward’s public image on the pitch with a more competitive side shown in informal games among team-mates and staff.

Messi’s farewell came at the Monumental, where Argentina marked the occasion with a convincing win over Benin. For Camino, however, the most lasting memories were not only connected to matches, but also to the card games played behind the scenes.