Mascherano knows the score

Javier Mascherano, the Argentine defender who helped Barcelona reach the pinnacle of European soccer several times, chose to end his 15-year career for the Argentine national team after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Mascherano, who now plays for Hebei China Fortune, always maintains a low profile in front of the media, but in a recent interview with Xinhua, he shared stories from the World Cup as well as his thoughts on the CSL and Chinese soccer.

"I had been a member of the Argentine national team for 20 years, including the youth training period, and I knew the 2018 World Cup would be my final chance to fight for my nation, so I tried really hard with an easy state of mind," he said.