Lionel Messi quotes:

I prefer to win titles with the team ahead of individual awards or scoring more goals than anyone else. I'm more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with? When I retire, I hope I am remembered for being a decent guy.

Money is not a motivating factor. Money doesn't thrill me or make me play better because there are benefits to being wealthy. I'm just happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love. If I wasn't paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing.

You cannot allow your desire to be a winner to be diminished by achieving success before and I believe there is room for improvement in every sportsman.

There are more important things in life than winning or losing a game.

It's not so easy for us when we play teams who have a different mindset, like Chelsea or Inter Milan, because they have the intention of trying to stop us rather than playing a game that is more attractive for the spectators to enjoy.

I always thought I wanted to play professionally, and I always knew that to do that I'd have to make a lot of sacrifices. I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.

Nah, I've always had a great relationship with my two brothers, I have always had their support in my football and in everything. They've been very close to me and we have a great relationship.

I want to concentrate on winning things with Barcelona and Argentina. Then if people want to say nice things about me when I have retired, great. Right now, I need to concentrate on being part of a team - not just on me.

You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.

There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a happy and smiling child. I always help in any way I can, even if it's just by signing an autograph. A child's smile is worth more than all the money in the world.

In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigour and precision.

It's scoring goals that's great, whether against Brazil or anybody else.

I have many years to get better and better, and that has to be my ambition. The day you think there is no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player.

I'm lucky to be part of a team who help to make me look good, and they deserve as much of the credit for my success as I do for the hard work we have all put in on the training ground.

For my part, I try to do my bit to make people's lives more bearable, in particular children across the globe who are having problems.

Argentina is my country, my family, my way of expressing myself. I would trade all of my records for the World Cup trophy.

I've always really just liked football, and I've always devoted a lot of time to it. When I was a kid, my friends would call me to go out with them, but I would stay home because I had practice the next day.

I've always really just liked football, and I've always devoted a lot of time to it. When I was a kid, my friends would call me to go out with them, but I would stay home because I had practice the next day. I like going out, but you have to know when you can and when you can't.

Being named among the best at something is special and beautiful. But if there are no titles, nothing is won.

I am the same person as always and I have the good fortune to play in a great team. It was an historic year for Barca and for me but it's thanks to the work of everyone.

Whether it's a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game - I play the same. I'm always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans, and to try and win.

It seems like people want to blame me for everything. Whenever any issue arises, I'm said to have been involved even if I've had nothing to do with it. That's why I always focus on what I know, which is playing football, and try to be very careful with what I say because people always try and twist things.

Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift.

Like I've said many times before, I'm always more likely to remember goals for their importance rather than if they're beautiful or not. Goals scored in finals, for example.

At Barca we trained every day with the ball. I hardly even took a step running without a ball at my feet.

Barcelona is my home and I hope that I stay here for many years.

The truth is my idea has been to always stay at Barcelona and see out the rest of my career here. Like I always say, one doesn't know what can happen in the future, but if it were up to me to decide, I would stay at Barcelona for the rest of my career.

I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I'm not enjoying it, I will leave football.

On a personal note, I think it won't be until after I've retired that I'm fully aware of what I've done or what I've gone on to achieve in my career.

We have demonstrated that we are the best, I'm also happy because everyone seems to enjoy our football, whether or not they are Barca fans. All over the world, I've heard people saying that they have been enchanted by us. This type of football deserves to be rewarded with titles.

I don't need the best hairstyle or the best body. Just give me a ball at my feet and I'll show you what I can do.

I use Herbalife products on and off the field for energy and focus. That way I can play my best game

I have changed nothing, my style of play is still that of a child. I know that above all it is my job and that I should approach it in another way, but one must not lose sight of the fact that football is a game. It is imperative one plays to amuse oneself, to be happy. That is what children do and I do the same thing.

You can overcome anything, if and only if you love something enough

When the year starts the objective is to win it all with the team, personal records are secondary.

We know that we are close to making history.

I still have a lot of room for improvement. For example, I want to shoot equally well with both feet.

Every year I try to grow as a player and not get stuck in a rut. I try to improve my game in every way possible. But that trait is not something I've worked on, it's part of me.

What I do is play soccer, which is what I like.

Ronaldo was my hero. I loved watching players like Zidane, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, but Ronaldo was the best striker I've ever seen. He was so fast he could score from nothing and could shoot the ball better than anyone I've ever seen.

Sometimes you have to accept you can't win all the time.

I repeat what I always say: I want the best for Argentina in every way. I never try to make trouble for anybody.

We will not take Arsenal lightly for one minute, as they showed in the two matches against us last season that they can be dangerous opponents if we lose our concentration for a moment.

I've never stopped being Argentine, and I've never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I've been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change. Barcelona is my home because both the club and the people here have given me everything, but I won't stop being Argentine.

The truth is that I don't have a favourite goal. I remember important goals more than I do favourite goals, like goals in the Champions League where I had the opportunity to have scored in both finals I have played in. Finals in the World Cup or Copa del Rey are the ones that have stayed with me for longer or that I remember more.

The day you think there is no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player.

I never think about the play or visualize anything. I do what comes to me at that moment. Instinct. It has always been that way.

I am competitive and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we've lost. I'm in a bad way. I don't like to talk to anyone.

A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of a sheep

Barcelona is my life. They have brought me to where I am today. I could not leave, I don't want to leave. I know the Premier League is very good. But I cannot see myself playing in England because my heart is with Barcelona, always.

Being named among the best is special and beautiful. But if there are no titles, nothing is won.

Fatherhood changes you completely. If things didn't go my way before, I became withdrawn and didn't want to see or listen to anyone. Now, when I arrive home, I see my son and everything is OK. He's the most important thing to me now.

From the age of three, I played every day-morning, afternoon and night.

FROM THE FIRST DAY YOU ARE TOLD IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST THEN STAY OUT THE NIGHTCLUBS!

Give the opponents more than one reason to stare at your feet.

I always had the same style of play. I didn't really worry about people kicking me.

I always thought about carrying on training and working, chasing my dream.

I am more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world

I am the happiest man alive and I am happy for myself, for my family and for my country.

I don't look at records, that's not why I'm playing the game. Goals, of course. Every player in my position wants to score goals. But most of all, trophies. My target is always to win trophies for Barcelona, and that will always be my motivation, to win things. Nothing feels better than doing that as a team.

I go out and do the best I can in each game, and I don't think about the fouls other players will commit or whether I might be injured. It only does you harm to worry about those things.

I JUST GET ON WITH MY GAME AND LET THE REFEREES DO THEIR JOB.

I know how important it is to have a helping hand. In my childhood I had difficult times because of hormonal problems. If I hadn't had support, I wouldn't have been able to fulfill my dreams.

I never had any problems with my height. I was always the smallest kid, at school and in my teams.

I NEVER LOOK BACK AT WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED BECAUSE I AM ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE FUTURE. I CAN LOOK BACK AT WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED WHEN I AM RETIRED - BUT UNTIL THEN IT IS ALL ABOUT FOCUS.

I used to serve tea at a shop to support my football training

I would pass onto any young player to enjoy your football, play your football as you want to play the game, try and enjoy it and make the most of it.

IT IS NOT COINCIDENCE THAT AT BARCELONA WE HAVE LOW-KEY LIFESTYLES AND WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. WE KNOW WE ARE FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND NOT MOVIE STARS.

It takes sacrifice as well as talent.

It's crazy to say that after three games [without a goal] I was in crisis. I do not care whether I score or not, what matters is that the team win and continue to do so.

I've never stopped being Argentine, and I've never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I've been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change.

Many years ago when I first started my career Maradona told me "to enjoy and play as you know", and that's stayed with me ever since and is the best advice I've been given.

Motivation is not something I struggle with. I love playing football, I love being in training.

My ambition is always to get better and better.

My family was always present when I needed them and sometimes felt even stronger emotions than me.

My first memories are from when I was very little, maybe three or four years old playing in my neighbourhood at home. I can picture myself with the ball at my feet from a very young age.

My motivation comes from playing the game I love

My style of play has always been the same. I never tried to develop a specific style. From very young I just played this way.

NO MATTER WHAT YOU ACHIEVE, EVERY SEASON IS A NEW SEASON. WHAT YOU ACHIEVED THE SEASON BEFORE IS NO LONGER RELEVANT.

One of the Arsenal players came up to me afterwards and said it had been an honor to be on the same pitch as me. I thought, My God, that is a great thing to say when your team has just lost.

Ronaldinho was responsible for the change in Barça. It was a bad time and the change that came about with his arrival was amazing. In the first year, he didn't win anything but people fell in love with him. Then the trophies started coming and he made all those people happy. Barça should always be grateful for everything he did.

Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits and get on with trying to win.

The Barcelona youth program is one of the best in the world. As a kid, they teach you not to play to win, but to grow in ability as a player.

The best decisions aren't made with your mind, but with your Instinct.

There's no doubt. Its certain that ill be 100 percent

We are at a good level. Our secret is that we play the same way against each opponent.

When it comes to being badass nothing beats this It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.

When my son will be born, my first goal will be for him. The rest, will be as always for my grandmother.

You have got to love the game.

You have to show up in the World Cup, and in the World Cup anything can happen.

YOU KNOW AS A PLAYER THAT YOU WON'T HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY IN WORLD CUPS - SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM WHEN YOU CAN.

Goals are only important if they win games

OF COURSE MONEY TAKES WORRY OUT OF YOUR LIFE AND ENABLES YOU TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY - BUT IF IT WAS PLAYING PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL FOR FREE OR CHOOSE ANOTHER LIVING, THEN I WOULD CHOOSE FOOTBALL EVERY TIME.