Lionel Messi has revealed his regret over not learning English during his youth, saying he felt 'half ignorant' when meeting famous personalities throughout his career. The Inter Miami star and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner admitted to Mexican podcast 'Miro de Atras' that he wasted opportunities to study the language as a boy.

Messi, 38, explained that while at Barcelona's La Masia academy, he finished his high school education but didn't prioritize English studies. The Argentina captain, who joined Inter Miami in summer 2023 after two years at Paris Saint-Germain, reflected on how football has taught him valuable life lessons despite this educational gap. He now emphasizes the importance of education to his own children.

'I regret many things,' Messi said, specifically mentioning his failure to learn English. 'I experienced situations where I was with incredible and spectacular personalities to be able to talk and have a chat and you feel half ignorant.' The World Cup winner's candid admission highlights the challenges international athletes face when navigating global fame without language proficiency, even as they achieve unprecedented success on the field.