Quote of the day by Lionel Messi: "If I wasn't paid to be a professional footballer I would…"

Lionel Messi quotes (Getty Images) Lionel Messi's words capture the genuine, deep connection he has always had with football, and the kind of passion that has quietly defined his entire extraordinary career. "Money is not a motivating factor," he said. "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." For Messi, the game has always represented something considerably more than simply a way of earning a living. Long before becoming one of the most recognised footballers in the world, he was simply a young boy who genuinely loved having a ball at his feet, and his eventual success, trophies and financial reward all came considerably later, arriving on top of a love for the game rather than as the actual reason for it.Quote of the day by Lionel Messi"If I wasn't paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing"A real moment that tested this exact quoteIn 2021, this sentiment was tested in a genuinely real way. Messi's 21-year career at Barcelona, th...