Lionel Messi says he regrets not learning English growing up and now urges his children to prioritize education alongside football.
Lionel Messi has admitted he regrets not learning English as a child, saying it left him feeling unable to communicate at key moments in his career. The Inter Miami CF star told the Mexican podcast Miro de Atras, “To not have learned English as a boy… I deeply regret it.” He added, “I experienced situations… and you feel half ignorant.”
The Argentina captain and 2022 World Cup winner said he now emphasizes education to his children. “Today that’s what I tell my children… to study and be prepared,” he said. Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, moved from Rosario to FC Barcelona at 13 and finished school at La Masia, describing his final year in Argentina as “a disaster.”