Lionel Messi Concludes His Argentina Career But Has One Regret: "What An Idiot, Wasted My Time"

Arguably the greatest football player of all time, Lionel Messi has won everything there was to be won. From individual honours like the Ballon d'Or and club titles like the Champions League, to the World Cup with Argentina, Messi has done it all. Yet, as he hangs up his boots in international football, the 39-year-old has some regrets. One of those is not learning English, as the skill of knowing another language would have enabled him to have conversations with some special people he met in his life. Because of the language barrier, however, he couldn't.

Despite becoming an international superstar, Messi remained a one-language person. He spoke Spanish no matter where he went, often requiring a translator wherever knowledge of another language was needed. He admitted that there was a time when he could have studied English, but he didn't.

"I regret many things," Messi told Mexican podcast Miro de Atras. "To not have learned English as a boy. I had the time to at least study English and I didn't do it. I deeply regret it."

As he looks back at his career now, Messi admitted that there is a deep regret inside him because he couldn't speak to some important people as he lacked English language skills.

"I experienced situations where I was with incredible and spectacular personalities, where I could have talked and had a chat, but you feel half-ignorant. I always thought: 'What an idiot, how I wasted my time.' When you're young, you don't realise it. Today, that's what I tell my children: [the importance of] having a good education, studying, and being prepared."

Learning from his mistakes, Messi is now asking his children to learn the language.

"I always tell my children to take advantage of it. They have a different situation from the one I had, although I never lacked anything..."

"It [my last year of school in Argentina] was a disaster," he admitted. "I knew that I was leaving [for Barcelona]. At Barcelona, I finished my high school with the other children who went to [Barcelona's youth academy] La Masia."

"I was able to do everything and reach the top [in football], but along the way, there are many experiences and lessons learned," the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner said. "It's true that football is a way of life. It teaches you a lot, it gives you a lot of values. It creates lifelong bonds. You get to know places."

Did Messi really miss out on a lot by not learning English?

Messi's reflections offer a striking reminder that even unparalleled global success cannot erase the missed opportunities of personal growth. His regret highlights how important new languages are, not merely as a tool for communication, but as a bridge to meaningful human connection. By openly acknowledging his shortcomings and using his experiences to guide his children towards a well-rounded education, Messi, in a way, has given his fans another life lesson.

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