MESSI REVEALS ADVICE RONALDINHO GAVE HIM AT 16

Lionel Messi has recalled how Ronaldinho and other senior Barcelona players helped him overcome his nerves when he entered the first-team dressing room at just 16.

The Argentine star said being surrounded by established footballers was intimidating, particularly because of his naturally shy personality.

Speaking to students in Oviedo ahead of receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, Messi explained that adjusting to the environment was difficult despite his ability on the pitch.

“I had to walk into a first-division dressing room packed with stars when I was just 16. I was nervous,” he said.

Messi recalled sharing the dressing room with players including Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi and Carles Puyol.

Rather than allowing him to become overwhelmed by their reputations, his senior teammates encouraged him to concentrate on what had brought him there: his love of football.

He said their advice was to forget the setting, stop worrying about who was beside him and play with the enjoyment he had known since childhood.

“They told me to do what I loved doing and what I enjoyed,” Messi recalled.

Their encouragement helped the young forward feel more comfortable as he found his place in the team.

Messi went on to become Barcelona’s record goalscorer, winning numerous major honours during his time at the club and establishing himself among football’s greatest players.

His recollection offers a glimpse of the uncertainty behind those early years—and the importance of teammates who helped him settle in.