Lionel Messi reflects on his time at Barcelona: ‘Difficult to summarise in a few words what it means’

Lionel Messi reflects on his time at Barcelona: ‘Difficult to summarise in a few words what it means’ Former Barcelona captain and club legend Lionel Messi has returned to Spain, this time with none of the discretion of his last visit, to receive the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports. The Argentine icon arrived in Oviedo for a 48-hour official trip, to be hosted by the King and Queen and Princess Leonor at a ceremony on Friday. Ahead of the occasion, Messi sat down with the EFE (h/t SPORT ) and reflected fondly on the club of his life while also sharing a few stories about his late father. Messi reminisces on his Barcelona years The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looked back on a golden era at the Camp Nou, where he won everything alongside some of the game’s greats. Messi reflects on his time at Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) “We were lucky to have won everything, also the way we did it, how we enjoyed playing, winning, achieving important things, but above all how we enjoyed the day-to-day, the training sessions, we had a great time,” Messi said. He described it as a privilege to share a dressing room with Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol and many more. Now with Inter Miami after his time at PSG, Messi, who recently retired from international football , admitted it is “difficult to summarise in a few words” what Barcelona means to him, given it is part of his life and the club of his life. He experienced “many good things” both at the club and in the city, where his three children were born, leaving him with “a very, very special affection for the city, for the club.” An emotional award for Messi and his father The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner revealed just how much the recognition meant, particularly to his late father, Jorge, who passed away last August. “Honestly, I’m very happy. In fact, my father was extremely excited about this award.” “We knew it would be difficult because of the matches I had, but he insisted a lot that we come, and that I come here to spend these days and receive the award ,” he said. “This award goes beyond what a person offers inside the field, or what I’ve offered throughout my professional career. Honestly, he was very happy with this recognition, and that’s why I’m sure he’s enjoying it too ,” he added. Messi believes the World Cup victory was the pinnacle of his career. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) Messi also recalled the most valuable lesson passed on to him by his father. “Never stop trying. He used to tell me: hold the ball and try, whether the attempt succeeds or fails, and don’t get stuck in that moment, because there’s always another chance to try.” While Barça delivered glory at club level, the Rosario-born star reserved special significance for his crowning achievement with Argentina. “Winning the World Cup was more than just a dream ,” he said. How Messi wants to be remembered Finally, Messi framed his legacy not around the trophies he lifted, but around his relentless determination. “A great athlete who always strived to achieve his goals and dreams.” “Sometimes I succeeded in achieving what I wanted, and sometimes I did not succeed, but I never stopped trying to win at everything that was in front of me ,” he concluded.