Messi Reveals the Truth About the Possibility of Playing for Spain

Lionel Messi revealed that during his early years at Barcelona, there was a real possibility that he could represent the Spanish national team, but he emphasized that he never had any doubt about choosing the Argentine national team.

Messi said: “At a certain point, it reached me, because I was already playing in Barcelona, it was hinted to me, and this is normal, it happens with many young players.”

He continued: “Of course, I am Argentine, despite moving at a young age to Barcelona where I spent most of my youth career. There was that possibility, and it could have happened, but my desire was always to play for Argentina.”

Messi continued talking about his beginnings at Barcelona, saying: “We spent six months without playing because of paperwork, and when I played my first match, I got a leg injury and was sidelined for three months. After overcoming that difficult start, I developed very quickly, and in the second year, my progress was rapid until I achieved my dream of appearing with the first team, which happened in October 2004 in the derby match against Espanyol.”

Messi referred to the crucial moment against the Mexican national team in the 2022 World Cup, saying: “We went into that match with fear, and if we lost, we would have been almost out. After the first goal, we felt liberated, and it was a new starting point. That goal restored the team’s confidence and changed the group’s overall state.”

Messi concluded his statements by affirming: “It was a very important match, but at the same time, we had to focus on everything we had achieved previously. We had achieved a streak of 36 matches without defeat, and we needed to return to winning. We became stronger, and during the rest of the World Cup matches, we faced difficult situations and managed to adapt. The match against Mexico was a decisive point for the team’s level throughout the tournament.”