"Paredes and De Paul annoy me" - Lionel Messi opens up about his national team teammates

Leo admitted that playing against Paredes and De Paul is incredibly tough and unpleasant.

Details: In an extensive interview, 38-year-old Argentine star Lionel Messi opened up about many facets of his footballing life and shared some memorable moments from his time with the Argentina national team.

• See also: Aston Villa vs Arsenal prediction, H2H and probable line-ups - December 6, 2025

One of the topics discussed was Messi's relationship with his national teammates Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul, with whom Leo has often faced off as opponents on the pitch:

"Paredes and De Paul are the kind of players you love to have on your team, but honestly, as opponents, they really annoy me.

And, as I've said before, off the pitch they're fantastic guys—down-to-earth, genuine, humble, always joking, laughing, and playing pranks on each other. They love enjoying life.

But on the field, they completely transform. They approach every match with the same fierce mindset, and that's a big part of their character. It helps them stay laser-focused and fully immersed in the game."

Paredes was called up to the Argentina national team in 2017 and has made 76 appearances, scoring 5 goals.

De Paul received his first call-up in 2018 and has already played 83 matches for Argentina, netting 2 goals.

Reminder: "They shouted at me that I shouldn't play for the national team. They said I wasn't Argentine" - Messi opens up about a difficult period in his career