Lionel Messi speaks a little more English than he’s letting on – a surprise for the Inter Miami star, who won the World Cup with Argentina.
Messi predominantly — well, always — speaks Spanish.
That hasn’t changed much outside of a “No, Michelob Ultra” during a Super Bowl commercial with Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis.
But Messi has been communicating with English-speaking teammates during games since he arrived to Inter Miami last summer.
Inter Miami’s Julian Gressel, whose experience winning the MLS Cup twice will be valuable for the club in 2024, said Messi gave him clear directions in English during a preseason match in Saudi Arabia.
Gressel, near the 30-minute mark of the first episode of the Player/Manager podcast he released Friday, said of Messi:
“He covers his mouth and goes ‘Now, we change. You stay and Jordi runs. Jordi goes more behind. I was just like ‘Yes, okay. Okay, sounds good.’
“This is the funny part about it: After, he goes ‘English, pretty good, no?’ I was like ‘Yes, very very good. I understood everything!’”
Messi might not be itching to speak English in a public setting just yet, but his legendary left boot speaks its own language understood around the world.
Other Inter Miami teammates have previously disclosed Messi’s ability to communicate with them in English.
Inter Miami’s Robert Taylor told Sky Sports last August: “I'm taking Spanish lessons and he's taking English lessons. Still, the conversation level isn't great, but, on the field, it's different. I feel like football is a language where if you link up with someone, you don't necessarily have to speak the same language - you just play well together. I've heard him say a couple things in English to me and couple of players around him, so I think he speaks pretty good English.”
Inter Miami’s DeAndre Yedlin, after Messi’s arrival last July, said:
“He's spoken. I mean, it’s not a whole ton of English, but you know, it’s enough to get by. And when there is a conversation to be had, then one of the guys that speaks fluent Spanish will come over and translate a little bit,” Yedlin said.
“He's been great about it. You can tell he's really he's really trying.”
Messi said he was learning English for a year and half, during an interview in Aug. 2021 when he signed with French club Paris Saint-Germain.
“I understand it, but I don’t speak it,” Messi said in Spanish.
