Messi did not land in Fort Lauderdale unprepared. During an extensive interview with Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué shortly after his transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, Messi openly admitted he had been taking private English lessons. When asked directly about his command of the language, he answered with characteristic modesty.
"I understand quite a bit of it," Messi remarked in Spanish. "I've been learning it for a year and a half. When you travel and interact with people, you pick it up. But speaking it is harder for me. I get shy, self-conscious about making mistakes."
That self-consciousness dictated his media protocol for years. At Inter Miami, however, co-owner David Beckham intentionally created a bilingual locker room. While Spanish remains the dominant day-to-day language of the coaching staff and South American core, Beckham, sporting director staff, and American academy graduates interact in English. Messi has adapted accordingly.
Beckham noted in an interview with ESPN that Messi rarely needs a translator during administrative introductions or commercial partner luncheons. Messi listens to executive English speeches without earpieces, reacting to humor and analytical points in real time. The comprehension barrier dissolved long ago. The hesitation remains almost entirely focused on public verbal execution.
