Fans were stunned to hear Lionel Messi speak English for the first time.
Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi’s first language was Spanish and he later learned to speak Catalan during his impressive spell at FC Barcelona.
Messi, who has tormented many teams on these shores in the Champions League, was always thought to not speak English.
No one ever heard Messi give an interview in English, instead, it was often translated and subtitled.
However, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner may be able to speak some English, a clip of which has gone viral on online shows.
Messi dressed up at an event alongside Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Marco Verratti and was shown tricks by magician Julius Dean, who has 6.7 million Instagram followers and 8.11 million subscribers on YouTube.
London has worked its magic for celebrities like Drake and Post Malone, tennis star Novak Djokovic and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
And he recently tried to surprise Messi, a magician in his own right. Messi and Verratti held each other’s arms as Dean, 27, tried to explain the trick.
He first counted “tres, sos, uno” in Spanish, but then added, “I have to practice my Spanish because he spoke to the camera.”
Messi said, ‘Very nice of you’, prompting a big laugh from Verratti.
But most of all, it sent social media into a frenzy.
One fan wrote: “Rare sightings of Messi speaking English. »
Another said: “Best English speaker ever. »
A third commented: “He’s done with football and is now a great speaker on goat matters. »
A fourth added: “As a Messi fan, listening to him is like him winning the Ballon d’Or. »
A fifth said: “I realized I had never heard him speak English. »
In 2021, Messi admitted that he learned English when he was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City.
During his tenure at PSG, he told Guillem Balague: “I studied English for a year and a half. But when you’re there, in England, you learn it out of necessity…” Yes exactly. I understand but I don’t speak. »
IA video software Synthesia recently used its technology to show Messi speaking in multiple languages, including English.
Messi, who is in his second year in Paris, is said to be learning French to communicate with his teammates.
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