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In a revealing conversation on the YouTube channel Miro de atrás, Barcelona legend Lionel Messi looked back on the defining chapters of his career.
From leaving Rosario as a 13-year-old boy to learning hard lessons under Pep Guardiola, the Argentine icon offered a rare and personal reflection on his time at Barcelona.
Messi revisited the emotional farewell he received when he left Argentina for Spain.
He was only 13 when he moved to Barcelona, but the memory remains vivid.
“I was a kid, but I remember. I had my friends, my school, everything in Rosario. But I was happy, excited, and looking forward to what it would be like to go to Barcelona.
“I remember how the whole neighbourhood came out to say goodbye.
They went to the Rosario airport to see us off. It was impressive. It was like something out of a movie.
“They weren’t saying goodbye to Leo Messi, they were saying goodbye to the Messi family, who was leaving for Barcelona,” he remembered.
Early years in Spain
His early years in Spain were not without challenges, as he continued his education in Catalonia, studying alongside other La Masia youngsters.
“I finished school in Spain. I went to Barcelona; I did the first, second, third, and fourth years of secondary school there, where all the kids from La Masia went,” he recalled.
Looking back, he regrets not making the most of that time academically.
Messi arrived at Barcelona as a 13-year-old. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
“I tell my children to take advantage of it, because I regret not having learned English when I was a kid and had the time.
“Especially when you meet famous people and say, ‘What an idiot, how I wasted my time! … When you’re a kid, you don’t realise it,” he lamented.
Making it to the first team
On the pitch, the beginning was equally testing. He remembered,
“The first year was tough because I couldn’t play for six months since I didn’t have a transfer.
“When my first game came, I injured my tibia and was out for three more months.
“The first year was long, but the next one wasn’t, and soon I was almost playing for the second team. It all happened very quickly.”
His senior debut soon followed. “You always remember your first day in everything, with the U-20s, with the seniors.
“You take everything for granted afterwards, and sometimes the path takes you down a road where you don’t enjoy what each thing really deserves,” he acknowledged.
Finally, Messi shared a powerful lesson from Pep Guardiola during Barcelona’s golden era. Even when dominating matches, standards never dropped.
“I always tried to be respectful. We were 4-0 up after 20 minutes, and Guardiola always told us ‘the best way to respect your opponent is to keep scoring more goals’,” he concluded.