Argentina captain Lionel Messi has revealed how Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho and other senior Barcelona players helped him overcome his nerves when he joined the club’s first team as a teenager.
Messi, who was just 16 when he entered a dressing room filled with established football stars, admitted that the experience was intimidating because of his naturally shy personality.
Speaking to students in Oviedo, Spain, on Thursday, ahead of receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, the Inter Miami forward recalled sharing the dressing room with Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi and Carles Puyol.
“I had to walk into a first-division dressing room packed with stars when I was just 16. I was nervous,” Messi said.
He explained that his senior teammates encouraged him to stop worrying about the reputations of those around him and concentrate on enjoying the game.
According to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, their message was simple: forget the pressure, play the football he had always loved and focus on doing what came naturally to him.
“They told me to do what I loved doing and what I enjoyed,” he recalled.
Ronaldinho, who was among Barcelona’s biggest stars at the time, played an important role in helping Messi settle into senior football. The Brazilian’s support became a memorable part of the Argentine’s early career.
In a previously recounted anecdote from Guillem Balagué’s biography of Messi, Ronaldinho reportedly predicted the teenager would eventually surpass him after training alongside him.
“I’ve just finished training with someone who is going to be better than me,” Ronaldinho reportedly told a journalist.
Messi also reflected on the importance of learning to handle defeat, explaining that losing is an unavoidable part of football and that players must learn to accept disappointment while continuing to work towards their goals.
He stressed that athletes should take satisfaction in knowing they gave their best, even when the final result does not go their way.
The forward’s reflections offer a glimpse into the mindset that helped him progress from a shy teenager at Barcelona to one of football’s most decorated players.
During his time at the Spanish club, Messi won multiple domestic and European trophies before continuing his career with Paris Saint-Germain and later Inter Miami. He also captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
His latest comments highlight the importance of mentorship, confidence and enjoying the process of developing one’s talent.
