Lionel Messi reveals reason he doesn’t speak English as eight-time Ballon d’Or winner says ‘I understand everything’
LIONEL MESSI has revealed he can speak English as he continues to settle into life in the United States.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner signed for MLS side Inter Miami last summer.
Having grown up in Argentina before relocating to spend most of his career in Barcelona, Messi is most comfortable speaking Spanish.
And many believe he doesn’t understand English after never saying more than a few simple words in the language during public appearances.
However, Messi has revealed he is much better than he is letting on.
He admitted in a Spanish-speaking press conference while laughing: “I understand everything or almost everything in English.
“But out of embarrassment I don’t speak – but I think I can actually.”
The shy World Cup winner delighted fans last month as he spoke the words “Bad Boys” in English for the trailer of the new movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
And Messi’s team-mate Julian Gressel has revealed the 36-year-old sometimes communicates in English on the pitch when covering his mouth.
He said: “Messi doesn’t really ever speak to me much and if he did, then it was a little bit in Spanish always.
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“I understand most of it in Spanish. He came over to me and said something in English.
“That was the first time he’d spoken to me in English, during the game. He was covering his mouth, like he always does.
“Then after — this is the funny part about it — he goes, ‘English pretty good, no?'”
Messi will be in action this summer as he looks to fire Argentina to back-to-back Copa Americas.