For long, Lionel Messi has refrained from speaking in any language other than his mother tongue. Throughout his almost two-decade-long career, Messi has always spoken Spanish. However, most recently, a deepfake video of Messi has been making rounds on the Internet which has left soccer fans in splits.
Lionel Messi appeared in his first press conference as an Inter Miami player a few weeks ago. During the interview, Messi talked about the team before playing in the Leagues Cup final. He commended the efforts of the team and praised Inter Miami’s new coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino. However, while Messi spoke in Spanish, an AI-generated video has emerged where Messi’s words have been translated into English.
i am shook 😭😭😭😭 @ItzzZain10 @raghavv_01 https://t.co/pzQFNKCI4R
— sim (@no_backhand) September 11, 2023
The video, which has gone viral on the Internet, has been generated by a website called HeyGen. The site lets users create a deepfake of someone else’s voice. However, the remarkable accuracy of Messi’s voice and lipsync in the video has left fans surprised. The video has garnered some hilarious reactions, with one fan even commenting, “I am shook.”
Here are some reactions from fans:
Over the years, fans have yearned to see Lionel Messi speak in English. However, the Inter Miami star has remained loyal to his roots, speaking only in Spanish with a thick Argentine accent. Even after Messi moved to PSG, soccer fans never got to see the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner speak in French. Although Messi can speak Catalan, having spent more than two decades at FC Barcelona.
Lionel Messi has admitted to learning English in the past
While Lionel Messi hasn’t spoken in English in front of the public eye yet, he has admitted to learning the language previously. Back in 2021, when Messi was presented to the PSG fans after his signing, he sat down for an interview with the Spanish journalist Guillem Balague. In the interview, the 36-year-old star revealed that he has been taking English lessons.
🗣“I’ve been learning English for a year and a half!”
Lionel Messi’s first interview with the BBC as a PSG player ⬇️
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) August 12, 2021
Messi said, “I’ve been learning English for a year and a half but when you’re there in England, you get to learn it through necessity.” He further disclosed that while he does understand English, he abstains from speaking it. Moreover, Messi’s new teammate at Inter Miami, Robert Taylor, also revealed about Messi’s English lessons.
The Inter Miami forward said that Lionel Messi is continuing with his English lessons after moving to Miami. Taylor also said that Messi has had some small conversations with the Inter Miami players in English and proceeded to admire Messi’s English-speaking skills.
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