Lionel Messi: 'I Want To Win The Champions League Again'

After being presented with a record sixth ESM Golden Shoe, the Barcelona star sat down to talk frankly about his life and career.

- Juan Ignacio Gallardo/ESM

What did your children say to you when they were there and saw you win the award?

They were happy. The truth is that they were a little tired in the end because the gala was long. But they were very happy and were looking forward to [me] winning the award so that they could go up [on stage], be with me and enjoy it. It was a spectacular moment.

What did they say about the other players?

They know everyone and the truth is everyone likes them because they are passionate about football. They watch the matches of all the teams, not only those of Barcelona or Argentina. They were really freaked out looking at everyone because they knew them from the cards and from seeing them in matches. They were a little shy but enjoyed themselves.

Is Antonela still excited to see you up there?

Whenever I have to receive these awards and accolades she enjoys it very much. And this time it was special because the whole family was there ...well, almost everyone because Ciro was missing.

What do you admire most about Antonela?

The truth is that [I admire] everything. She has many good qualities: how she gets by on a daily basis, her personality, she is always in a good mood and she always faces up to problems in an admirable way. She is a very intelligent person who is great in all aspects of life.

How do you think your children will be when they grow up?

It is hard to say now. They are still very young. As they grow they will find their space with the things that they enjoy. It is very difficult to say today because life has lots of twists and turns.

When you look back, what do you feel about your career?