Messi opens his heart before honour from the King of Spain: Barcelona cannot be summed up in words, and this was my father's advice to me
Nostalgia for the past
Twenty-four hours before standing before the King and Queen of Spain to receive the highest sporting honour, Lionel Messi opened his heart. Barcelona's secret, he revealed, was never in the titles. It was in the enjoyment. Golden words from the boy who became a legend, recalling a dressing room that will never be repeated.
The Argentine star, now at Inter Miami, is preparing to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sport for 2026 next Friday in Oviedo, at a ceremony presided over by the King and Queen of Spain.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Spanish news agency "EFE", carried by "Mundo Deportivo", in Oviedo, Messi looked back on his days of glory with Barcelona and delivered a line that will stay in history: "With Barcelona we won everything, and the way we won it! We enjoyed playing".
He added: "We were fortunate to win everything, not only because of the way we achieved it, but also because of the way we enjoyed playing and winning and achieving important feats, but most importantly of all, we enjoyed the daily training sessions. We had wonderful times".
Sharing a dressing room with legends like Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol "and many others" was a great honour, Messi confirmed.
What does Barcelona mean to Messi?
Messi, who played for Paris Saint-Germain before his move to the United States, admitted it was "difficult to summarise what Barcelona represents to him in a few words". The club is woven into his life, his favourite of them all.
He continued: "I lived many wonderful moments at the club and in the city, and my three children were born there, so it is natural that I hold a very special love for the city and the club".
For all the trophies he lifted at Barcelona, Messi insisted that winning the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022 was the "pinnacle" of his career, an achievement that "was more than just a dream".
His goals in that final rank among his most important "for their importance, their moment, and the match itself", he said, alongside his goals in Champions League finals and the Clasico.
His late father's advice
The son of Rosario also recalled the advice of his late father, Jorge, who passed away last August. The pair were "constantly talking", trading ideas after every training session or match.
The most important piece of advice was: "To take hold of the ball and try, and whether it works out or not, not to settle for that, because there is always another chance".
How does he want to be remembered?
Asked about the image by which he would like to be remembered, the Argentine star said: "As a great athlete who always fought for his goals and dreams: sometimes I succeeded, and sometimes I did not, but I never stopped trying to win everything that was in front of me".
He signed off by noting that "there are many people who possess many abilities but fall behind because of a lack of opportunities". It was an honour, he said, to join the list of winners alongside names of the stature of Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, the Gasol brothers and Michael Schumacher.
