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Lionel Messi interview

Lionel Messi might be the best soccer players in the world. He’s also a low-key superstar. Check out this recent interview of Messi.

Journalists are evenly split on whether or not they should interview their personal heroes: some say you shouldn’t because you’ll find your idol has feet of clay, others argue the opportunity is too good to miss. For me, it was a no-brainer. Lionel Messi is not only the shining star of my favorite team, FC Barcelona, (although among my sentimental favorites, he ranks behind stalwarts Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández and Andres Iniesta) he’s also a highly unusual sporting icon. In an era when many sports celebrities swagger extravagantly, on and off the field, Messi is something of a throwback: a well-behaved young man who keeps his nose scrupulously clean.

On the field, he shows little of the petulance and amateur dramatics of so many soccer players, including one or two in Barcelona colors. When he scores, he always raises two forefingers to the sky, dedicating the goal to his late grandmother. When he’s fouled, he rarely — rarely — exaggerates his pain: he’s too much in a hurry to get the ball back at his feet. Off the field, he lives a quiet life, with his father in the Barcelona suburb of Castelldefels. Unlike many top players (including some of his recent teammates), he’s rarely seen in the city’s bars and discos, with a supermodel on his arm.

Read the entire interview. He seems like a classy guy.