"Messi was my hero" - Bayern Munich star opens up on his love for Barcelona and names Lionel Messi as his 'favorite player'
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala recently named Lionel Messi as his favorite player and shared his love for Catalan giants Barcelona. Messi is widely considered the greatest Azulgrana legend of all time.
At an early age, Jamal Musiala has risen to become one of the best midfielders in world football. The 21-year-old has recorded 56 goals and 36 assists in 184 appearances for Bayern Munich across competitions.
It is not surprising for current generation players to idolize Lionel Messi given his impact on football over the last two decades. Musiala is no different. However, he went one step higher by declaring his love for Messi's former club, Barcelona, and its legends.
In an interview with Sport BILD, Jamal Musiala declared Messi as his hero and Barcelona as his favorite team. He said (via GOAL):
"FC Barcelona was my favorite team and because of that, they were always my reference. The midfield with Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets fascinated me. I could watch their games over and over again. On the back of my shirts as a kid, the name was almost always Messi. I also had one with Neymar, but Messi was my hero, my favorite player."
Jamal Musiala has faced Lionel Messi twice in his career. Both the games came when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) met Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League. PSG lost both legs (3-0 on aggregate) to bow out of the championship.
Meanwhile, the German prodigy has faced Barca five times in his career, all of which came in the UEFA Champions League. He lost only once and won four times against his childhood favorite team. His only loss came this season as the Catalan giants beat Bayern 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League. Musiala has one goal and one assist against the LaLiga giants.
"It’s a special club" - Lionel Messi opens up on his love for Barcelona on the club's 125th anniversary
On November 29, 2024, Barcelona celebrated their 125th anniversary with current players, former legends, and other staff of the club. On the occasion, Blaugrana legend Lionel Messi sent a message to his boyhood side via their official social media.
“I congratulate the club on its 125th anniversary. It is a great pride for me to be part of this club and to be a fan of Barca. It’s a special club, different from the others, with all the difficulties that this imposes because of the way things are managed in football today. I was lucky that God led me to this club and I spent my whole life in this wonderful club," Messi said (via Barca Blaugranes).
Lionel Messi spent the majority of his career at Camp Nou between 2004 and 2021. The Argentine legend won a club record 35 trophies with La Blaugrana, including four UEFA Champions League titles, 10 LaLigas and seven Copas del Rey. In 778 outings for Barcelona, he contributed 672 goals and 303 assists.