Lionel Messi Regrets Not Learning English as a Child
Lionel Messi has admitted that, despite his legendary football career, he wishes he had learned English when he was younger.
In a candid interview on the Miro de Atrás podcast with former Argentina team-mate Nahuel Guzmán, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said he now regrets missing the opportunity to study the language.
Reflecting on his youth, Messi called himself an “idiot” for not learning English, explaining that in social and professional situations he sometimes feels “ignorant” for not being fluent.
“I regret many things, I tell my children. To have education, to be prepared, not having learned English as a kid. I had time and I didn’t do it,” Messi said. “I’ve had time to have studied English and I didn’t do it, I regret it a lot because then you live situations of being with incredible personalities where you want to talk and you feel kind of ignorant. And you say: ‘What an idiot, how I wasted time.’”
Messi said that football has taught him many values and opened doors, but he urges his children to take advantage of opportunities he missed.
The 38-year-old also reflected on his fears during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, particularly the group-stage match against Mexico after Argentina’s shock loss to Saudi Arabia. He admitted the team went into the game scared, but relief followed after scoring, which restored confidence. Argentina went on to win the tournament, marking a historic third World Cup for the Albiceleste.
Messi has not yet confirmed whether he will play at the 2026 World Cup in Canada and the United States, but both Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni and Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano expect him to be part of the squad. Messi has expressed his hope to participate, saying, “I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there,” while noting that his final decision will depend on how his body feels earlier in the year.
