Messi: 'I am the only world champion not welcomed by the club'

Striker Lionel Messi talked about his time with PSG, his plans after retirement and revealed that he wanted to have another daughter, in an interview with OlgaTV on September 20.

– How do you feel about your journey in Paris?

– The experience was not as expected, but I was lucky to become world champion while still a PSG member. Perhaps I am the only world champion who is not welcomed at the parent club. But that’s okay, that’s what happened. The truth is that I have a good relationship with Kylian Mbappe, with everyone at the club.

Messi in a training session while still playing for PSG. Photo: AFP

– How do you feel after becoming world champion?

– I need a change of scenery. I still want to play and enjoy football. I like to compete. I’m prepared as always, but the reality is, I’ve played thousands of matches and still have many years to go.

– How is your relationship with your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren?

– I think I’m a good father. I try to instill in my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren the values that were instilled in me. I am a good father, because my parents are good parents. I am who I am today thanks to what I learned as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, and the club where I grew up. Each 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 has a unique personality. Thiago is more reserved, competitive and humble. Meanwhile, Mateo scored and looked to the sides, made small gestures, raised his hands. Ciro is quieter.

– You and your wife Antonela, who takes care of the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren more?

– I admire her as a mother. Antonela spends 24 hours with her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. I have to travel a lot, so taking care of my family is really hard. Occasionally, I have time to take care of my three 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and it’s wonderful. Antonela and I both hope to have more members in our family. It would be great if it was a daughter.

– How is your daily life in Miami?

– We wake up at 7am, I prepare breakfast for the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and take them to school. The 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren like me to prepare toast, chocolate, butter and sugar. After that, I went to Inter Miami to practice early because the weather was very hot. I arrived at the same time as the rest of the team, there was no difference, because there were penalties for being late and I wanted to show my commitment to my teammates. I come home at noon, have lunch with Antonella, go to bed, and pick up the kids in the afternoon.

Messi celebrates his goal against Ecuador in Argentina’s opening match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on September 7. Photo: AFP

– What do you think about competing in the 2026 World Cup?

– I’ve said this before, that tournament is still very far away. My goal is to compete in Copa America 2024, which also takes place in the US. Competing at the 2026 World Cup also depends on my emotions.

– What will you do after retiring?

– I don’t think about that and don’t want to think about that either. I want to continue enjoying football, after leaving Europe. I am fortunate to be able to dedicate myself to something that I love. Even though I have other responsibilities and goals, football is still something I have loved since I was a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. But later, when I quit football, I didn’t know. I want to continue being involved in football, as a sporting director, or something similar.

– Who are your close friends?

– I don’t have many close friends in Argentina, because I left home when I was very young and the way of communication is different. I have great friends from Spain and one of those people is Antonela’s cousin. I played with him at Newell’s. We became friends, I went to his house and met Antonela. Then I went to Spain for a few years and when I was 16 or 17, I met Antonela again and we started dating.

In the previous generation of the Argentina national team, I shared a lot with Javier Mascherano, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Sergio Aguero. I also have many friends in the next generation of the Argentina team. Angel di Maria and Leandro Paredes and I shared many things in Paris.

Messi appeared comfortable in an interview on Olga TV . Screenshots

– How do you deal with criticism?

– We had a really difficult time because we were criticized a lot and went too far. It was unnecessary, and especially caused my family member to suffer a lot. But not everyone is like that, because there are fans who always cheer and support me.

– What do you think about returning to Newell’s Old Boys to play someday?

– I always had the idea of playing in Argentina, especially after winning the world championship. Of course, I want to play at Newell’s Old Boys, but everything is quite complicated.

– Where do you keep the titles?

– I keep the World Cup championship medal, all the trophies and the Golden Ball in my museum in Barcelona. It’s nice recognition, and I’m lucky to win everything: Champions League, Copa America, World Cup. That’s the important thing. The individual awards are also great, it’s nice to receive them. But what’s important are the collective titles.