"Very lucky to have been able to achieve everything with Barcelona and Argentina" - Lionel Messi in new interview
Lionel Messi has stated that he is lucky to have won everything in football with Barcelona and Argentina. The Argentine superstar is the most decorated footballer in history with a record 46 trophies in his cabinet.
Messi is considered the greatest Barcelona legend of all time, having won a club record 35 titles with his boyhood club. These include four Champions League titles, 10 LaLiga titles, seven Copas del Rey, and eight Supercopas de Espana, among other honors. The legendary forward recorded 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 outings across competitions for La Blaugrana between 2004 and 2021.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi's journey with La Albiceleste has been bitter-sweet, with the Argentine losing three consecutive international finals at his peak. He lost the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals, before winning his first major international trophy in 2021. La Pulga's international trophies with Argentina include two Copa Americas (2021 and 2024) and the historic 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In his latest interview with renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano, Messi spoke about his meteoric success for both club and country, saying (via All About Argentina):
"I am very lucky to have been able to achieve everything with Barcelona and Argentina."
Lionel Messi's stint with Barcelona ended on a tragic note after he was forced to leave the club in 2021 as a free agent and join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Catalan side were unable to renew Messi's contract owing to financial difficulties and LaLiga's FFP guidelines.
After two seasons in Paris, Messi joined MLS side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. Since his arrival, he has led the Herons to win the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield, further adding to his trophy cabinet.
"He will return" - When journalist Guillem Balague claimed Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona
In May 2024, renowned journalist and Lionel Messi's biographer, Guillem Balague was asked if the Argentine legend would like to return to his boyhood club one day. Balague responded (via Barca Universal):
“That’s what he said. He will return, there will come a time when the paths of Barça and Leo Messi will cross again. Currently he is enjoying his time at Inter Miami, but the day will come when he must return home. I think that for him home is Barcelona."
Balague also shared an anecdote where he mentioned Lionel Messi had agreed to contribute to one of his books about Blaugrana leaders. He said that Messi wrote his text himself because it was about the club.
"..He said that he is a part of Barcelona and will remain so, and that his love for the team is unconditional and that he will return to Barca," Balague added.
Lionel Messi was briefly linked with a return to Barcelona in the summer of 2023, but it never materialized owing to the Catalan side's well-documented financial woes. It remains to be seen whether he returns to his boyhood club one day, although it is unlikely to happen during his playing career.