One of soccer’s most renowned icons, Lionel Messi, has captivated the world with his remarkable on-field performances while leaving fans and media much to desire about his linguistic abilities.
Throughout his illustrious career, Messi has exclusively conducted interviews and communications in Spanish, regardless of his global fame and widespread adoration. However, recent reports suggest that Messi may soon be potentially speaking fluent English.
According to revelations from his Inter Miami teammate, Rob Taylor, the Argentine superstar has been making strides in mastering the English language. Taylor disclosed that Messi’s English communication skills are showing progress, with him speaking “pretty good English” during interactions with his teammates.
🗣Robert Taylor (Inter Miami player) :
“Messi speaks good English. I have heard him speak english a couple of times to me and other teammates” pic.twitter.com/udnUCixdZR
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) August 2, 2023
The shift in language inclination comes as no surprise, given Messi’s relocation to Miami. Having spent the majority of his career in Spain and France, English was never a necessity, however, Messi’s move to Miami has necessitated an adaptation to a new linguistic environment, leading him to add English to his arsenal of languages.
Despite Spanish being widely spoken throughout Florida, Taylor highlighted Messi’s dedication to improving his communication with his new team-mates at Inter Miami.
Messi himself revealed in August 2021 to journalist Guillem Balague that he had been learning English for a year and a half, expressing that while he understands the language, he did not speak it confidently. However, recent developments indicate that this may change sooner than expected.
Tata Martino speaks about the impact of Lionel Messi on his teammates
Lionel Messi may still be in the process of mastering English, but that hasn’t hindered him from igniting a spark of inspiration among his teammates at the Miami club.
The current Inter Miami manager, Tata Martino, recently shared insights into the profound impact Messi has had on the team.
Addressing reporters, Martino commented on the positive transformation he has observed among the players since the arrival of Messi and his ex teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
He stated, “What we have seen so far is that they are growing. They are not overshadowed by the greatness of the three players that we are talking about but instead are focused on being able to learn from everything that they have done in their careers.”
Undeniably, the presence of players with such a storied history, numerous titles, exceptional abilities, and a formidable legacy in soccer could be an intimidating prospect for the rest of the team.
🗣 “I’m very happy to meet up with Leo (Messi) as well as Busi (Sergio Busquests) here at Inter Miami.”
Jordi Alba is looking forward to linking up with his former Barcelona teammates on the pitch pic.twitter.com/X9c8MaNbOf
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 2, 2023
However, Martino expressed optimism, stating, “It is not easy for the players that we have here to receive players with so much history, with so many titles, with such good ability, with such a legacy in world football. In that sense, I think we are on the right track.”
Despite the language barrier, Messi’s influence transcends verbal communication, as his mere presence has motivated the team to rise to new heights and embrace the learning opportunities that come with playing alongside legends.