Lionel Messi named a rather unexpected person as the footballer who inspired him. He is an inspiration for many players in the current generation, especially the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Lionel Messi was just a boy from Rosario aspiring to be a professional football player. Far from that, it was not Diego Maradona, his former manager, or even the legendary Pele that Messi aspired to follow.
Lionel Messi’s chief role model was another play-making Argentine, Pablo Aimar, who played for River Plate, Valencia, and Benfica. His outstanding skills impressed Messi, and they both played for Argentina’s national team thirteen times, including the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.
Speaking to Adidas Football, Messi said, ‘Other than Maradona, the dear for Argentines, my second most preferred player was Pablo Aimar; I used to love him a lot.’
This came after Lionel Messi has previously picked his greatest sportsman of all time.
Aimar’s Role in Lionel Messi Career
When Pablo Aimar retired from football also, Messi had to take to his official Facebook timeline to describe Aimar as a “great player” and “one of my idols.”
Aimar acted as an assistant to Lionel Scaloni for the Argentina national team, through which he coached Messi.
When Messi hit the vital goal against Mexico during the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, Aimar was overwhelmed to the extent he nearly shed tears on the bench.
In 2020, Aimar told FIFA: When asked of his opinion for the best player in the game, for me, the best is always Messi. He is my all-time hero.’
