Why Lionel Messi chooses not to speak English

Everybody knows Lionel Messi is a natural Spanish speaker, but, for years, fans have speculated if he could speak English, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner finally giving a definite answer.

Messi told reporters, in Spanish, that he can, “understand everything almost everything in English,” having spent time learning the language now that he plays in the US for Inter Miami.

Messi told reporters, “out of embarrassment I don't speak [English]- but I think I can actually,” per The Sun.

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Julian Gressel, who plays with Messi in Miami, recently told reports, “Messi doesn't really ever speak to me much and if he did, then it was a little bit in Spanish always,” suggesting the World Cup-winning Messi still has some work to do.

However, in one match, Messi, “came over to me [Gressel] and said something in English.”

Gressel told reporters, “That was the first time he'd spoken to me in English, during the game. He was covering his mouth, like he always does,” per The Sun.

Clearly proud of his new language skills, Messi reportedly then asked Gressel, “English pretty good, no?”

Gressel has previously told reporters Messi has communicated in English before, with one incident in March of this year. Messi, who naturally commands a great deal of respect from his teammates, told Gressel, in English, “You speak to the team,” in the build-up to a big match, per the PLAYER/MANAGER podcast.

The world was watching on as Messi made his first public statements in English during a trailer for Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

It was another big summer for Messi, who won back-to-back Copa America tournaments with his country, following a tumultuous move to Inter Miami from PSG last year that saw the end of Messi in European football.

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