“I Almost Fainted”: The Overwhelming Impact of Meeting Lionel Messi
Living alongside Lionel Messi is not something just anyone is prepared for. One of his Inter Miami teammates admitted that his first encounter with the Argentine was almost too much to process.
An Unexpected Rise… All the Way to Messi
Going from anonymity to sharing a locker room with Lionel Messi is a leap few footballers can even imagine — let alone process. One Inter Miami player confessed that he was on the verge of fainting the first time he saw the Argentine star in person, despite having mentally prepared himself for the moment.
The midfielder arrived at the club after a highly unconventional journey, moving through lower levels of European football and the U.S. college system. Today, he is an MLS champion and trains daily alongside a player many consider the greatest of all time. Still, nothing prepared him for the real impact of meeting Messi face to face.
“He Has an Aura You Can’t Explain”
The player explained that Messi is humble, calm, and approachable off the pitch, yet carries a presence that is felt instantly.
“He has an incredible aura. I tried to prepare myself mentally before meeting him, but even then I almost fainted,” he admitted.
Beyond the initial shock, he highlighted Messi’s quiet leadership: he speaks little, but always finds the right words before matches, pays attention to every detail, and maintains an extreme competitive edge even in training. At 38 years old, Messi refuses to lose — even in the simplest drills.
The “Animal” That Emerges on the Pitch
If he is discreet off the field, everything changes once the ball starts rolling.
“On the pitch, he turns into an animal,” the player explained, stressing that Messi’s competitive intensity never fades, regardless of his age or everything he has already achieved in his career.
That mindset, he says, spreads throughout the squad and raises the standard inside the locker room. Respect isn’t demanded with words, but earned through daily actions, intense training sessions, and a constant obsession with winning.
A Locker Room of Legends… and Humility
Sharing a team with figures like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez has also shaped his growth. According to him, they all share the same obsession with detail, paired with a humility that makes daily learning and coexistence easier.
Even at executive level, with David Beckham’s constant presence, the message is clear: close leadership, maximum demands, and unbroken ambition.
A Memory That Never Fades
Some matches define a career — but some moments define a life. For this player, meeting Lionel Messi was one of them. Not because of a goal or a play, but because it revealed firsthand what it truly means to live alongside greatness every single day.
Because there are dreams that, once fulfilled, quite literally take your breath away.
