DALLAS — FC Barcelona fans have high expectations. Javier Mascherano understands that well.
Mascherano reached and exceeded those often in nearly eight years with the Blaugrana, winning five La Liga titles and a pair of UEFA Champions League trophies while he was there.
Now, the 42-year-old said that he's now enjoying watching a successful Barcelona team, even if the club hasn't been to a Champions League final since Mascherano helped Barca win the 2014–15 competition.
"I think Barcelona for several years now has been competing really well in La Liga, in fact it won the last two seasons," he told USA TODAY Sports at "El Partizao", a watch party for Barcelona's contest against Atlético Madrid. "I think if they can keep that base of the team, they’re
going to put together great seasons and also try to go a bit farther and see what they can do on the international level."
Mascherano knows what winning a European title can demand. Converted from a central midfielder to a center back by Pep Guardiola, Mascherano played at least 40 matches across all competitions in every season but his last one at Barcelona. Winning on the weekend in league play and during the week in Champions League became the expectation for fans, an expectation that the current generation headlined by Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Raphinha have yet to match.
"Maybe they got too used to the period in which we were there, which was a great era," Mascherano said of Barca fans, before defending the supporters and saying, "I think the Barcelona fan puts a lot of value on winning La Liga because they know that’s the prize for consistency."
For decades, the Argentina native found that consistency in his own life with the rhythm of being a professional player. Sleep, eat, train, recover, and do it all again was the constant schedule - one that became more demanding as he became a regular with the Argentina national team, earning 147 caps between 2003 and his international retirement after the 2018 World Cup.
After leaving Barcelona for an adventure in China and a brief return to his home country where he suited up for Estudiantes during the pandemic-affected 2020 season, Mascherano hung up the boots.
Now a manager, who most recently took Inter Miami to the 2025 MLS Cup thanks in part to former Argentina and Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, Mascherano feels well-adapted to life after soccer.
"It’s not easy because we’re used to a routine and to living in a certain way since we were very young. But it’s also necessary," Mascherano said. "A lot of times you have to give time to what’s important, in my case family. The good part of being a manger is it allows you to get in and get out and you can’t do that as a player."
Even so, it is his playing career that led to hundreds of fans to line up Sunday before the watch party to snap a photo with Mascherano and get an autograph.
"Honestly, soccer in general in the United States has grown a lot," Mascherano said. "More than anything, you really see a lot of Barca and Real Madrid fans. They’re clearly the biggest teams. With the Latino culture, above all."
Barcelona's 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid pushed it back to the top of La Liga. The squad returns to action Nov. 22 against Villarreal before a trip to Azerbaijan to meet Sabah FK on Nov. 25.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Javier Mascherano says his generation made Barcelona fans demand Champions League glory
