Lionel Messi Regrets Not Learning English as a Child

Messi opens up about language regret

Lionel Messi admits he 'deeply regrets' not learning English when he was young despite his successful football career. Messi shares life lessons from football, opens up about academic background.

Messi teaches kids importance of education, language on Miro de Atrás podcast...

Lionel Messi's opening up about a major regret - not learning English when he was younger. Despite being one of the greatest footballers ever, with a haul of eight Ballon d’Or awards, the Inter Miami star wishes he'd picked up the language earlier.

Messi's had an incredible career, playing for top clubs like Barcelona and PSG, but he admits this is something that still bothers him. 

Lionel Messi, the World Cup winner, is opening up about a regret he has despite his massive success - not learning English. He's speaking on the podcast Miro de Atrás and sharing how it’s impacted him.

Messi's talking about his academic background and how he's teaching his kids an important lesson. 

“To not have learned English as a boy. I had the time to have at least studied English, and I didn't do it. I deeply regret it. 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. 

“I always thought: 'What an idiot, how I wasted my time.' When you're young, you don't realise it. Today, that's what I tell my children, (the importance of) having a good education, to study and be prepared.  

“I always tell my children to take advantage of it. They have a different situation from the one I had, although I never lacked anything...”

Football Taught Me a Lot Despite Academic Struggles

Football's been a big teacher for Messi. He moved to Barcelona from Rosario at 13 and admits his education wasn't exactly a highlight.

“It (my last year of school in Argentina) was a disaster,” he admitted. 

"I knew that I was leaving. At Barcelona, I finished my high school with the other children who went to La Masia.”

When Lionel Messi made his #FIFAWorldCup debut 🇦🇷✨ pic.twitter.com/ax3zU5IPGZ

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 25, 2026

Messi's crediting football for teaching him valuable life lessons, despite his rocky academic past. Now with Inter Miami, he's reflecting on the bigger picture.

“I was able to do everything and reach the top (in football), but along the way, there are many experiences and lessons learned,” he said. 

“It’s true that football is a way of life. It teaches you a lot, and it gives you a lot of values. It creates lifelong bonds. You get to know places.”