Leo Messi

Leo, firstly allow us to welcome you with open arms and thank you for joining us here at Sports World. It is a real honour to have you featured as our Spring 2019 cover. 

You are welcome. Thank you very much for choosing me for your cover and for your time. 

Congratulations on your new line of luxury watches. What was the inspiration behind this?

I have always been passionate about the world of watchmaking. I have had the honour of being able to see the laborious work carried out by a specialist watchmaker for myself, and the technique, patience and determination to put together watches as unique as the Jacob & Co designs is incredible. This was the main reason I started working with Jacob, whose prestige in the world of luxury watchmaking is unquestionable. 

Why did you choose Jacob & Co as a brand to team up with? 

As I said in my previous answer,  Jacob & Co’s reputation in the sector is beyond question, as is the know-how and manufacturing process involved in producing Jacob & Co watches.

“It is an honour and pleasure to be able to collaborate with one of the world’s leading watch brands.”

What makes Jacob & Co designs so appealing to you?

It’s clear that the brand’s revolutionary timepieces and jewellery for men and women make their products unique across the world. 

Tell us more about the first release, ‘The Epic x Chrono Messi Watch’. How much influence did you have in the final design before completion? 

I must admit that with this being the first limited edition collection we made with  Jacob & Co, Mr Jacob made things very easy for me, and I was guided by his advice.

This marks the beginning of an exclusive three-year timepiece partnership between you and Jacob & Co; we understand this will be the first of several limited-edition designs to be released from the collaboration. Tell us more about how the next releases are set to look.

The main idea is for each limited-edition collection to have its own personality and for the design and mechanism of the watch to vary between one collection and another. This will allow us to satisfy all tastes since each of the collections will be a limited edition.

After a simply mind-blowing and record-breaking career, how do you feel your influence will impact both the brand and your own line of watches?

Given the types of pieces that  Jacob & Co produces, it is just a shame that only a privileged few are able to enjoy them. Those who can afford to buy these pieces, which are unique across the world, will get to experience a product that I hope they will enjoy and feel proud to wear.

“I hope they will enjoy and feel proud to wear.”

With your influence, why do you feel it is important to have such unique business ventures off the field?

I am like anyone else who is interested in learning things other than those related to their daily work and who likes to discover other professional experiences. I thought that the world of watchmaking would be a good market in which to continue to develop the other facets of my life. 

If you were not a professional footballer, what would you be doing?

I really do not know. I have said on many occasions that if I was not a footballer, I do not know what I would be doing. In truth, I have not really thought about it much because I am just focused on my daily work. 

I never considered becoming anything other than a footballer. It is what I dreamed of since I was a child, it was what I enjoyed doing, and I always battled to achieve it.

“I never considered becoming  anything other than a footballer, it is what I dreamed of since I was a child.”

Can you tell our readers more about the charities and organisations that you are involved with?

There are two things that we have been working on off the field that we are very proud of because they allow us to do our bit to improve the lives of others in a small way, with a particular focus on children. I am proud to be a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and am also very happy with the role that the Leo Messi Foundation is playing in the Pediatric Cancer Center project at Barcelona’s Sant Joan de Déu hospital. In both cases, it is all about helping those who need it most, with a focus on children who have fewer resources and greater difficulties in their lives.

We and many others around the world regard you as the greatest player in the history of the beautiful game. You are a nine-time winner of the Spanish La Liga, four-time winner of the European Champions League, five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, and five-time winner of the Golden Boot. What do you consider to be your biggest achievement in football? 

 I have been lucky enough to win many trophies thanks to the work we have put in as a team over the years. 

“I have been lucky enough to win many trophies thanks to the work we have put in as a team over the years.”

La Liga is always a very special competition because it rewards the most consistent team and because it is such a tough league, it really is a challenge to win it every season. 

The Copa del Rey is another important competition, it is a  tournament where we have enjoyed success, and with it involving knockout ties from start to finish, it has a special excitement to it. 

Of course, the Champions League is another of the great competitions, and when we have won it, it has been very special. The team honours have always given me more satisfaction than the personal awards; the latter does not usually come without the former. 

However, winning the Ballon d’Or and the Golden Boot obviously always makes me happy and brings me satisfaction because it means that things have gone well out on the pitch.