The ping pong to Lionel Messi when he was 20 years old that went viral: his ideal woman, his idol and the dream he fulfilled in Qatar

The ping pong to Lionel Messi at the age of 20 that went viral

Lionel Messi He is the best soccer player in the world, but despite being a sports star, he always drew on the simplest things in life. His mother Celia’s milanesas or enjoying family a lot, something he still has and whenever he can he takes a trip with his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo and their three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.

A sample of what Leo was like in 2007 is an interview that went viral on social networks in the last few hours. It was on the show “Football and something else”, led by the sports journalist from Rosario Marcelo “El Pelado” Ramírez. He happened a few days after his 20th birthday (06/24/1987) and in the run-up to the Copa América in Venezuela in which he shone, but that team led by Alfio Basile and with Juan Román Riquelme, Pablo Aimar, Juan Sebastián Verón, Carlos Tevez, Hernán Crespo and Javier Zanetti among other figures, they lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final.

In the talk the trust between Ramírez and Messi is clear in a meeting with complicit laughter and pampering to the soul as were the messages from Leo’s parents. Jorge Messi’s made his son emotional who, with his broken voice, recalled an anecdote from his first days in Barcelona, ​​back in the year 2000. “My old man came to ask me what I wanted to do when we were bad, if I wanted to continue or we We came back and I wanted to continue and he stayed with me, ”La Pulga confessed.

At that time he already defined himself as a normal kid and insisted that he was on vacation and that he was doing the same as other boys his age. That he went out and enjoyed himself with one of his brothers and his cousin. That was the first part of the interview.

In April 2007, he scored a Maradonian goal against Getafe (AFP PHOTO/LLUIS GENE)
In April 2007, he scored a Maradonian goal against Getafe (AFP PHOTO/LLUIS GENE)

Do you miss Rosario?

– Yes, I always said it, you know that whenever I can I come here because I love it.

Are you ever going to stop doing it?

– I think not. With time a lot of things can happen, but my thought is always to come to Rosario. I am here and I do the same as my friends, my cousin, my brothers. I am a normal kid, I want to enjoy what I have always done and what I am going to continue doing.

How do you deal with this advertising and all this?

– Fine haha. I already made a couple. I grabbed his hand and have fun, I like it.

If you set up a party with your brothers and that, a certain Jorge, play?

– Ha ha… He can’t play, his tendon is shit and he can’t step on the hard floor.

They are still a humble family…

-We continue the same as always. I always said that when I leave a court I am the same as always. When I come I go to the neighborhood, we have everything in the neighborhood, that’s why we continue in the same way.

Lionel Messi and Juan Román Riquelme were one of the best duos of the Copa América Venezuela 2007
Lionel Messi and Juan Román Riquelme were one of the best duos of the Copa América Venezuela 2007

What is your best memory of your time at Newell’s?

-A match with Central that we beat them. I have a lot of videos saved from when I was at Newell’s that I sometimes watch. I like to see when they show videos of me when I was little.

Now that you are where you are, do you remember the difficult times you lived with your family?

-In these good moments is when I remember them the most. We all remember what we had to go through, that people don’t know about it and there is no point in telling it, but it was hard. I always knew what I wanted, I always pushed forward and my family always helped me.

Someone to confess to you?

– My old.

What do they call Celia?

-Puchi. Why? I don’t know, but Puchi remained and continues to be so.

Are your parents special?

– With the two of us we lived through many ugly things, that’s why I locked myself up to cry alone in the room when we arrived in Barcelona, ​​or my dad too without me seeing him or thinking that I didn’t see him. We pretended that we were both good, but we were bad. My old man came to ask me what I wanted to do when we were bad, if he wanted to continue or if we would go back and I wanted to continue and he stayed with me.

Leo in a meeting with Diego Maradona in August of that year REUTERS/Stringer (ARGENTINA)/File Photo)
Leo in a meeting with Diego Maradona in August of that year REUTERS/Stringer (ARGENTINA)/File Photo)

Leo had already been in Barcelona’s first team for three seasons and the previous year had won the first of his four Champions League, although he did not play that final against Arsenal. In 2005 he had won the U-20 World Cup in which he started as a substitute and ended up being a starter, top figure and scorer. And in 2006 he played his first World Cup for seniors and in his debut he scored a goal against Serbia and Montenegro.

Then Ramírez changed the course of the interview that had some comic tones and in which Leo, unlike what he was already doing on the playing field, did not dribble any answers in an entertaining ping pong.

A meal?

– Milanesas a la Neapolitan from my old lady or my aunt. My old lady, my aunt, my old man, in that order.

A musical group?

– Sergio Torres.

A player?

-Aimar.

What other sport do you like?

– I watch basketball, tennis, but I don’t practice it.

A woman?

– (Laughter) I don’t know… for now I’m fine with my mom.

Brunette or blonde?

-Brunette.

Messi’s Ping Pong at the age of 20 II. The messages from his parents and the emotion for a boy anecdote

A movie?

I’m not one to watch movies.

A TV show?

– It’s been a long time since I watched Argentine television and I don’t watch Spanish television either. That’s where I get hooked on some novel or series, but I’m never in Argentina and when I am I’m not going to watch television.

If you have to concentrate with Kun or Ustari on Saturday afternoons, cumbia program or Play Station?

– With Agüero both things; with Ustari calmer, some mates, perhaps.

A team in the Play?

-Barcelona.

An unforgettable match?

– Own? Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.

A dream?

– Obviously being world champion.

Fifteen years later Lionel Messi was able to fulfill his dream of being world champion (REUTERS/Carl Recine)
Fifteen years later Lionel Messi was able to fulfill his dream of being world champion (REUTERS/Carl Recine)

Later there were the emotional messages from his parents and Jorge was the first: “You know very well that we have had many good and not so good moments. Regarding those not so good moments, you know that we always come out stronger and we want this to continue like this because this helps us to be stronger in the face of life and it helps you to be who you are, because I believe that above being a good player football you are an excellent person ”.

“I’m not telling you because I’m your father, but most of the people who know you know that this is the case. I hope this continues for life, that you continue to be what you are and people love you for that and nothing more. Then, well, the admiration of playing soccer… that’s a detail. That is why I wanted to tell you that despite this, despite having spent so much time as a family separated from our country, from our roots, despite spending so much time alone and facing the bad things that happened to us, despite that we raised our heads and we all did well and we know well that your effort, your will and your claw helped make this come true, “he added

“It goes without saying that both I and your family adore you as your brothers and that we defend your personality tooth and nail because despite the fact that bad things happened to you, you always faced life with a smile and you helped us to be stronger to be able to continue with that.”

“What can I tell you? That we love you, that we love you and hopefully you never change.

Messi’s Ping Pong at the age of 20 II. The messages from his parents and the emotion for a boy anecdote

Then it was Celia’s turn: “It goes without saying that I am very proud of you for all the emotions you make us experience. It is better that your brothers and you are everything to me and what can I say about you? Lionel is very affectionate, very familiar, he is crazy sometimes, but anyway, Leo is my life, I love him with all my soul. Leo: I wish you the best in the world because you deserve it for the kind of person you are. I love you so much, son.”

Almost 16 years have passed since that interview in which Leo was as authentic as he still is today. He was already an international figure and on his way to being the best on the planet. He comes from being a world champion with the National Team and he fulfilled his dream. But personally, his essence remains the same.

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The ping pong to Lionel Messi when he was 20 years old that went viral: his ideal woman, his idol and the dream he fulfilled in Qatar