The Argentine forward said he initially struggled to settle into the dressing room because of his naturally shy personality, despite his exceptional footballing talent.
Speaking to students in Oviedo on Thursday ahead of receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, Messi recalled how intimidating it was to share a dressing room with some of football’s biggest names.
“I had to walk into a first-division dressing room packed with stars when I was just 16. I was nervous. I had people like Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi, Carles Puyol and many others around me.
“It was difficult for me because of my personality. I’m shy and I found it hard to come out of my shell,” he said, according to GB News.
Messi explained that his senior teammates encouraged him to ignore the pressure of playing alongside established stars and concentrate on enjoying football as he had done since childhood.
“What they told me was to forget about everything, forget the context and just enjoy myself and do what I had been doing all my life since I was a kid, without thinking about who was next to me.
“They told me to do what I loved doing and what I enjoyed,” he added.
Ronaldinho, who was among Barcelona’s established stars when Messi joined the first team, reportedly recognised the teenager’s extraordinary potential from their early training sessions.
According to Guillem Balague’s book Messi, the Brazilian contacted journalist Cristina Cubero after training with the youngster and declared: “I’ve just finished training with someone who is going to be better than me.”
Beyond his early struggles at Barcelona, Messi also reflected on the importance of accepting defeat, describing the ability to handle losses as a fundamental part of football.
Drawing on experiences such as Argentina’s defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final and unsuccessful Champions League campaigns, the forward said players should take satisfaction in knowing they had given their best, regardless of the outcome.
“You may or may not achieve your goal, but you have to be satisfied knowing that you gave it your all and that you can feel complete beyond the final result,” he said.
“The most important thing is knowing how to lose. Knowing how to win, too, because there are a lot of people who don’t know how to win.
“But knowing how to lose is fundamental in this sport because you lose far more often than you win.
“You shouldn’t get used to losing, but you do have to understand that you can lose, and you have to accept it,” he added.
Messi continues to play for Inter Miami in the United States after leading Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He also helped Argentina end its long wait for a major international trophy by winning the 2021 Copa América before guiding the national team to its third World Cup title.
During his time at Barcelona, Messi became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, winning four UEFA Champions League titles and 10 La Liga championships, alongside numerous individual honours.
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