most popular sporting personalities on the planet right
now, with his goals played and replayed countless
times in every corner of the globe and shirts with his
name on donned by kids in even the unlikeliest of
places. Not that the Rosario-born superstar, who has
recently turned 25, has let any of it go to his head.
On the contrary, in fact, with his interview responses
revealing him to be extremely reserved off the pitch – a
far cry from the breathtaking and eye-catching
performer that lights up the field when turning out for
FC Barcelona or La Albiceleste. Just moments prior to
collecting his fourth consecutive FIFA Ballon d'Or, the
man who in 2012 set an all-time record for goals scored
in a calendar year spoke to FIFA.com about an up-and-
down 12 months.
On the agenda in this exclusive interview were such
topics as Argentina's fine current form, the change in
attitudes towards him in his homeland and his hopes
for full recoveries for Barça colleagues Eric Abidal and Tito Vilanova.
FIFA.com: You've come to the FIFA Ballon d'Or
Gala for six years in a row now. Does coming to
this kind of event become something of a habit
or does it always feel exciting?
Lionel Messi: To be honest, it hasn't become a habit
for me. Even though these events are similar or
practically the same, every year is special. Just being
here is always different: it's always a lovely feeling
knowing what days like this mean. And, what's more,
it's a sign that you're doing a good job.
When you first came back in 2007 you were a
shy, long-haired youngster, but you've changed
an awful lot since then, right?
So much! It's true yes, a lot of things have happened to
me and obviously I've grown up both as a player and a
person. That was a lot of years ago, the first time I came
I would've been 18 or 19. I've become more mature, my
personality has developed and my career has taken
shape. Loads of things have changed.
Diego Maradona often says that after the 2008
FIFA Ballon d'Or, when you finished second to
Cristiano Ronaldo, he told you never to finish
second again. Is that really the case?
To tell the truth I can't even remember when Diego told
me that (laughs), but it's true that I went on to win the
next three after that. Just being here is spectacular.
"We've fired people's enthusiasm and"
I'd say we're more united than ever.
Messi on Argentina
You set a new record by scoring 91 goals over
the course of 2012. If you had to highlight just
one of them, which would it be?
Like I've said many times before, I'm always more likely
to remember goals for their importance rather than if
they're beautiful or not. Goals scored in finals for
example. So, in this case, the one I scored against
Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey is the most
important.
And, personally speaking, what would be your
highlight of the year?
I think it was a good year overall. Although I would have
liked to have won more with my club, I think it turned
out to be a positive year with the Argentinian national
team. That meant a lot to us all and that's what I'd
highlight: the national team having a great year after
things not having gone well for such a long time.
What changed to finally help you hit your best
form with La Albiceleste?
The national team in itself changed. For things to go
well it depends on everybody involved, not just one
player. And it's not as if things were only going badly
for me before, things weren't right with the national
team as a whole, for whatever reason. But once we
started winning and our results improved, everything
got easier. The fans are behind us, the press aren't as
critical as they have been in the past and we're able to
get on with the job in a different, calmer way. On top of
that you end up getting more respect from opponents
because of the form you're in. The biggest change was
the results, simple as that.
Do you feel more appreciated back in Argentina now?
Yes, I do. We've been fortunate enough to play in the
capital, in the country's interior region and all over the
place, and the way the fans treated me and the team
was amazing. That's something we earned with our
results and our football. We've fired people's
enthusiasm and I'd say we're more united than ever.
You scored several hat-tricks in 2012, but was
the one against Brazil in June's 4-3 friendly win
the most special?
They're all special, aren't they? But, in the way they
came about and who they were against, regardless of
the fact it was a friendly, those three goals were extra-
special. But it's scoring goals that's great, whether
against Brazil or anybody else.
Turning back to Barcelona, any doubts that
surrounded the club when Pep Guardiola
departed have now been dispelled. Have there
been changes since Tito Vilanova took over as
coach?
Yes, of course. The way we work and prepare for games
is the same, but what's changed is that Guardiola and
Tito have different personalities and different ways of
handling the squad. They've each got their own ideas
and own style, but when it comes to playing and
training we're doing the same things we've been doing
these past four years.
"They hit us hard. It seemed like it was"
one thing after another, and they're
things that count much more than
results or form.
Messi on Abidal and Vilanova's health problems
This year has been a testing one for non-
footballing issues, such as Pep's exit and the
health problems suffered by Eric Abidal and
Vilanova. The Barça squad is known for being
very tight-knit, but how hard did these events hit
you all?
To be honest, they hit us hard. It seemed like it was one
thing after another, and they're things that count much
more than results or form. They're really awful
situations. Of course we were hit hard, but we somehow
managed to get through all of that by sticking together
throughout. And thank God things began looking up for
both Abidal and Tito. Though he (Vilanova) has still got
to keep us his treatment, all the signs are good. That's
what matters most.
As far as this season's La Liga race is concerned,
is it hard not to get complacent now you're so far
ahead of the chasing pack?
We're very aware that there's a long way to go yet. Our
La Liga hopes are in our hands thanks to the lead we've
got and the way we've gone about things, but we can't
afford to relax. We know how good Atletico Madrid are,
as we've played them already and they're a great side.
And you can never write Real Madrid off because they'll
fight till the end and they've clawed back big points'
deficits on us more than once. We're not taking our foot
off the gas, though we're confident we won't have
problems staying on the same track.
Not long ago the renowned Uruguayan writer and
journalist Eduardo Galeano wrote: "Me gusta
Messi porque no se cree Messi" (I like Messi
because he doesn't think he's Messi). Is that the
case? Are you aware of your impact on this era in
the modern game?
I don't know. I'm just trying to keep doing my job and
enjoying what happens to me, what we do and what we
achieve every day. There isn't time to sit and think
about what you've been doing because everything
happens so fast: as soon as one thing finishes another
begins. I think that generally, as I've said many times,
people are going to remember this Barcelona team
once it's gone, once time goes by. That's when it'll be
awarded much more significance. And on a personal
note, I think it won't be until after I've retired that I'm
fully aware of what I've done or what I've gone on to
achieve in my career.
One of the aspects of your game that most
catches our eye is the fact you'll always chase
seemingly lost causes and never deliberately go
to ground. Is that something you're born with or
have learned?
To tell you the truth, I've been that way my whole life,
since I was little. I've always tried to keep hold of the
ball and keep going, whatever happens, and I still try to
do that today. Every year I try to grow as a player and
not get stuck in a rut. I try to improve my game in every
way possible. But that trait is not something I've
worked on, it's part of me.
One last question: when you made a toast with
your loved ones on New Year's Eve, what did you
wish for 2013 to bring?
Of course, my son is now my number one priority. It's
been a very nice and very big change and we'll always
put him first. Then I wished for Abidal and Tito to get
well and put their health issues behind them for good.
That and good health for me, my family and all my
loved ones. After all that, on a sporting front, hopefully
we can carry on what we've been doing and pick up
some more silverware.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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