After Lionel Messi announced his intention to join Inter Miami, the topic of his English skills was raised in a cringeworthy segment on Fox News.
“Fox and Friends” host Brian Kilmeade told Messi that he should learn to speak English when he moves to the United States, just like Inter Miami owner and noted Englishman David Beckham did when he joined the LA Galaxy in 2007.
As nonsensical as Kilmeade’s words were, they did raise a notable topic ahead of Messi’s move to the U.S.
Does Messi speak English? His most recent words on the subject appear to come from August 2021 after he signed for Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking to the BBC, Messi revealed that he’d been learning English for a year and a half.
He added: “I understand it but I don’t speak it.”
🗣“I’ve been learning English for a year and a half!”
Lionel Messi’s first interview with the BBC as a PSG player ⬇️
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) August 12, 2021
Though Messi doesn’t speak English — at least as of two years ago — his wife Antonella Roccuzzo speaks the language well.
That is according to the account of Mackenzie O’Neill, who as an 11-year-old in 2019, had the surprise of a lifetime when vacationing on the beach in Antigua.
O’Neill and his family happened upon Messi, Roccuzzo, their three sons, and Messi’s father Jorge.
“Messi was with his family on the beach. I was on my own and began to kick my ball a few feet from where they were,” O’Neill, who is from London, told Argentinian publication Ole.
“His dad Jorge threw a ball to me and asked if I wanted to play with them and then we played football with (Messi’s son) Thiago and Messi for 45 minutes.
“Thiago is a fantastic player for his age and wasn’t shy about playing. Playing with Messi was incredible. He doesn’t speak English, but he waved us over and immediately started laughing. Messi’s wife translated, because she speaks very good English.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz6EZ_lFT5f/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=d93f4987-dcc6-42e9-8334-e50b4afb0902
Asked if Messi had any advice for him, O’Neill replied: “No, because he doesn’t speak English, but seeing how skillful he was was enough advice for me.
“Playing with Leo in the water was great fun. He acted like a normal dad. I also realized that Messi really enjoyed seeing his son play with other children.”
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