In an extensive interview with Mundo Deportivo, the Argentine star revealed that Pep Guardiola and Ronaldinho played an important role in his career at Barcelona.

For everyone today, Lionel Messi is a legend of FC Barcelona, a player who young people look up to and dream of imitating his dribbles, runs, and, in general, his journey. However, before becoming the player with the most appearances and the all-time top scorer in the club's history, the Argentine was a young aspirant who had to find his place in a locker room full of stars.

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In an interview with Mundo Deportivo for FC Barcelona’s 125th anniversary, the current Inter Miami player reflected on his years at the Catalan club and revealed the people who most marked his career. Two names stood out, starting with one: "I think there are two people who marked me a lot for different reasons. Pep, because I had him as a coach for many years, and we achieved incredible things that we never would have imagined," he said. The two worked together for four seasons and won everything possible (2 Champions League titles, 3 La Ligas, 2 Copa del Reys, 2 FIFA Club World Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 3 Spanish Super Cups). Pep Guardiola "invented," for example, the "false 9" tactic, which helped destabilize Real Madrid in the 2011 Champions League. Positioned as a center-forward, Lionel Messi would drop deeper to combine with Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, opening up spaces in the game. "What I remember most are the collective titles we won, like the year of the sextuple (2009)," Messi added.

A Brazilian Big Brother

The other person who had a special impact on him was a player: Ronaldinho. "For the way he welcomed me, how he helped me. He helped me a lot in my early days with the first team," he revealed to Mundo Deportivo. At the peak of his career and form, the Brazilian World Cup champion was the star of FC Barcelona when Lionel Messi joined the first team at the beginning of the 2004-2005 season. Recognizing the talent of his young teammate, Ronaldinho took him under his wing like a big brother, and as a twist of fate, he provided him with his first goal on May 1, 2005. With a lobbed pass over the defender, he assisted the Argentine, who then chipped the goalkeeper of Albacete with his left foot. Messi’s first goal, at just 17 years old.

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Two individuals who, in their own way, contributed to making Lionel Messi who he is today. In addition, although he also mentioned his former teammates Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, as well as current players Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez, he made a special mention of the late Tito Vilanova, Pep Guardiola's former assistant, who passed away prematurely from cancer on April 25, 2014, after having succeeded Guardiola as FC Barcelona's head coach.