Explore popular quotes and sayings by an Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi.
Last updated on December 21, 2024.
Lionel Andrés Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga season (21) and the Copa América (17). He also holds the record for most international goals by a South American male (86). Messi has scored over 750 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club.
It's not so easy for us when we play teams who have a different mindset, like Chelsea or Inter Milan, because they have the intention of trying to stop us rather than playing a game that is more attractive for the spectators to enjoy.
I am competitive and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we've lost. I'm in a bad way. I don't like to talk to anyone.
I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I'm not enjoying it, I will leave football.
I never think about the play or visualize anything. I do what comes to me at that moment. Instinct. It has always been that way.
I have many years to get better and better, and that has to be my ambition. The day you think there is no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player.
I want to concentrate on winning things with Barcelona and Argentina. Then if people want to say nice things about me when I have retired, great. Right now, I need to concentrate on being part of a team - not just on me.
Every year I try to grow as a player and not get stuck in a rut. I try to improve my game in every way possible. But that trait is not something I've worked on, it's part of me.
The truth is that I don't have a favourite goal. I remember important goals more than I do favourite goals, like goals in the Champions League where I had the opportunity to have scored in both finals I have played in. Finals in the World Cup or Copa del Rey are the ones that have stayed with me for longer or that I remember more.
When the year starts the objective is to win it all with the team, personal records are secondary.
I've always really just liked football, and I've always devoted a lot of time to it. When I was a kid, my friends would call me to go out with them, but I would stay home because I had practice the next day. I like going out, but you have to know when you can and when you can't.
Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift.
Nah, I've always had a great relationship with my two brothers, I have always had their support in my football and in everything. They've been very close to me and we have a great relationship.
The truth is my idea has been to always stay at Barcelona and see out the rest of my career here. Like I always say, one doesn't know what can happen in the future, but if it were up to me to decide, I would stay at Barcelona for the rest of my career.
I repeat what I always say: I want the best for Argentina in every way. I never try to make trouble for anybody.
We will not take Arsenal lightly for one minute, as they showed in the two matches against us last season that they can be dangerous opponents if we lose our concentration for a moment.
What I do is play soccer, which is what I like.
I prefer to win titles with the team ahead of individual awards or scoring more goals than anyone else. I'm more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with? When I retire, I hope I am remembered for being a decent guy.
I've never stopped being Argentine, and I've never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I've been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change. Barcelona is my home because both the club and the people here have given me everything, but I won't stop being Argentine.
It's scoring goals that's great, whether against Brazil or anybody else.
I've never stopped being Argentine, and I've never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I've been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change.
The day you think there is no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player.
Sometimes you have to accept you can't win all the time.
I've always really just liked football, and I've always devoted a lot of time to it. When I was a kid, my friends would call me to go out with them, but I would stay home because I had practice the next day.
I always thought I wanted to play professionally, and I always knew that to do that I'd have to make a lot of sacrifices. I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.
Being named among the best at something is special and beautiful. But if there are no titles, nothing is won.
There are more important things in life than winning or losing a game.
You have to show up in the World Cup, and in the World Cup anything can happen.
On a personal note, I think it won't be until after I've retired that I'm fully aware of what I've done or what I've gone on to achieve in my career.
You cannot allow your desire to be a winner to be diminished by achieving success before and I believe there is room for improvement in every sportsman.
It seems like people want to blame me for everything. Whenever any issue arises, I'm said to have been involved even if I've had nothing to do with it. That's why I always focus on what I know, which is playing football, and try to be very careful with what I say because people always try and twist things.
Whether it's a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game - I play the same. I'm always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans, and to try and win.
You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.
In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigour and precision.
Money is not a motivating factor. Money doesn't thrill me or make me play better because there are benefits to being wealthy. I'm just happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love. If I wasn't paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing.
For my part, I try to do my bit to make people's lives more bearable, in particular children across the globe who are having problems.
There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a happy and smiling child. I always help in any way I can, even if it's just by signing an autograph. A child's smile is worth more than all the money in the world.
I'm lucky to be part of a team who help to make me look good, and they deserve as much of the credit for my success as I do for the hard work we have all put in on the training ground.
Like I've said many times before, I'm always more likely to remember goals for their importance rather than if they're beautiful or not. Goals scored in finals, for example.
It takes sacrifice as well as talent.
You can overcome anything, if and only if you love something enough
Ronaldo was my hero. I loved watching players like Zidane, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, but Ronaldo was the best striker I've ever seen. He was so fast he could score from nothing and could shoot the ball better than anyone I've ever seen.
Goals are only important if they win games
I never had any problems with my height. I was always the smallest kid, at school and in my teams.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU ACHIEVE, EVERY SEASON IS A NEW SEASON. WHAT YOU ACHIEVED THE SEASON BEFORE IS NO LONGER RELEVANT.
There's no doubt. Its certain that ill be 100 percent
FROM THE FIRST DAY YOU ARE TOLD IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST THEN STAY OUT THE NIGHTCLUBS!
At Barca we trained every day with the ball. I hardly even took a step running without a ball at my feet.
Being named among the best is special and beautiful. But if there are no titles, nothing is won.
I NEVER LOOK BACK AT WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED BECAUSE I AM ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE FUTURE. I CAN LOOK BACK AT WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED WHEN I AM RETIRED - BUT UNTIL THEN IT IS ALL ABOUT FOCUS.
I am more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world
When it comes to being badass nothing beats this It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.
I don't need the best hairstyle or the best body. Just give me a ball at my feet and I'll show you what I can do.
My ambition is always to get better and better.
I have changed nothing, my style of play is still that of a child. I know that above all it is my job and that I should approach it in another way, but one must not lose sight of the fact that football is a game. It is imperative one plays to amuse oneself, to be happy. That is what children do and I do the same thing.
My motivation comes from playing the game I love.
The best decisions aren't made with your mind, but with your Instinct.
Give the opponents more than one reason to stare at your feet.
Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits and get on with trying to win.
I always thought about carrying on training and working, chasing my dream.