lionel Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, offers a rare and intimate look into his life off the pitch in a newly released interview wiht Luzu TV. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, now playing for Inter Miami after a storied career with FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, details his surprisingly private nature and the routines that ground him amidst global fame. From his need for solitude to his unexpected fondness for Argentinian gossip shows, Messi reveals a side of himself seldom seen by the public.
Lionel Messi, settling into life with Inter Miami and the Argentinian national team, recently offered a revealing glimpse into his personality and daily routines in a candid interview with Luzu TV. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, fresh off leading Argentina to a historic World Cup title, described himself as “more strange than sh*t,” explaining his preference for solitude and a highly structured lifestyle.
“I like being alone, I enjoy being alone,” Messi explained. “The chaos at home with the three kids running around ends up overwhelming me. I like my moment of solitude. I watch TV or a game, but mostly that. Antonela can tell you better than me. It depends on my mood, over small things. I’m very structured, if I have the day organized and something is thrown at me, I disconnect.” He admitted that feeling “blocked” is particularly difficult for him to overcome. “It’s hard for me to go out a lot. When something doesn’t sit right with me, or just any annoyance, it changes my mood. Mateo is the one who can get me out of that state. I also don’t like not communicating much, it’s hard for me to express myself. My problems, what’s happening, but it’s just how I am.”
Messi revealed a tendency to internalize his struggles, stating, “I assimilate it all inside.” He added, “I did therapy in Barcelona and haven’t since. I’m one to eat my problems alone. I’ve changed a lot, but even so, I open up with her in everyday life, but when it comes to sports, I talk a lot with my dad. He’s always been by my side. I share a lot with my old man, but in life, with her.”
Beyond the pitch, the Inter Miami superstar confessed to a surprising guilty pleasure: enjoying gossip and regularly watching the Argentinian talk show LAM. “I like the gossip,” he said with a laugh. “I watch LAM sometimes, among other things. I’m a little like my mom, it entertains me. Antonela doesn’t like it very much, but just to stay up-to-date. I think I got that from my mom. She loves theater, she’s crazy about it. If it were up to her, she’d be there with Ángel (de Brito) on LAM.”
He and Antonela enjoy a variety of entertainment, including streaming services. “We watch everything,” Messi said. “I watch highlights, clips, whatever comes up. Two hours less is a lot. It changes things because we have a very orderly routine. I do get hooked on TikTok. I spend a lot of time there when I’m bored. But I keep up with what’s happening in Argentina. All our family is in Rosario.”
The forward also recounted the story behind the viral video of him celebrating with a “trencito” (a small train-like dance) with his Inter Miami teammates. “First of all, I don’t like it, but I wasn’t the first one. We had done 500 ‘trencitos.’ Someone had a couple of drinks and said, ‘trencito again.’ But, I need to be a little tipsy to dance,” he joked. When asked about his favorite alcoholic beverage, he chose wine. “I need to be a little tipsy to dance. I like wine. Wine and Sprite, to kick in quickly. It’s nice with the heat.”
Interestingly, Messi admitted he hasn’t found ChatGPT useful, though Antonela has embraced it. He also emphasized his need for order. “I’ve always been obsessed with order. At first, she was a disaster, but now she’s changed. I leave my clothes and soccer stuff for training. I don’t like anyone touching my things. I’ve been like that since I was a kid, and Thiago is the same. Ciro is the most like me.”
Messi, his life in Miami, social media, relationships, and the day he met Charly García
The World Cup champion shared details of his encounter with the legendary musician after an Argentina national team match. “I didn’t know him, they asked me if I could come down and when I saw him it was inexplicable. He has a special energy. A magic, his presence captivated me. It was something very crazy,” he confessed.
Messi also revealed he maintains a good relationship with Juan Román Riquelme, the president of Boca Juniors. “We talk often, we exchange messages. He congratulated me on the championship recently.”
Turning to social media, Messi explained his cautious approach. “Sometimes, I want to unfollow an account, and I don’t. All that nonsense ends up having repercussions and it’s just nonsense. I don’t block anyone. In that sense, that’s what I’m most careful about, I pay a little more attention. I don’t like people talking about me about something that isn’t playing soccer. It makes me uncomfortable to appear in anything, in anything at all. I don’t like it.”
Finally, Messi expressed his contentment with life in Miami. “I live much more peacefully here, everything is more American. They don’t give soccer as much importance. In Barcelona, they did. People were used to it, I lived my whole life there. People already saw me constantly. I always moved around the same places. I went out, we had a lot of routine life. We’re very behind the kids. We can’t go out that much, the weekends they play. People have a different energy, everything seems nice. Summer, heat. For me, that’s the nice part, my day-to-day.” He added that while he loves Rosario, he mostly stays home when he visits. “I go to my mom’s house or my brother’s house. I’m with my people, especially in December,” he concluded.
