“I’d like to be on the bench!”: Messi reveals the ONLY game he regrets missing – it’s one of Barca’s biggest triumphs

Lionel Messi openly shares one of his greatest regrets, reflecting on the historic 2006 Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal. Despite his youth at the time, Messi felt the sting of not being able to participate due to a hamstring injury when he was just 18 years old.

Barcelona faced Arsenal in the final, and Messi had to watch from the sidelines as his team overcame an early deficit to secure a remarkable victory and lift the coveted Champions League trophy. The pain of not being able to contribute was so profound that Messi declined to attend the celebrations that followed the triumph.

In a 2021 interview with AS, Messi expressed his remorse, saying, “I’m sorry I didn’t [go out]. I didn’t realize what was happening. At least I would have liked to be on the bench that night. Until that injury, I took part in every Champions League game in my career! I deeply regret that episode. We won that Champions League, and I was not sure what would happen again because it is a difficult competition to win.”

Despite the disappointment of that moment, Messi went on to achieve immense success in his career, winning the Champions League four more times and solidifying his status as one of the greatest footballers in history.