Here’s What Soccer Superstar Lionel Messi Thinks About Being Name-Dropped in So Many Lyrics
Written by djfrosty on February 25, 2025
Sure, Lionel Messi is a soccer superstar, but he’s also a mainstay in the music world, often getting shout-outs in lyrics from artists across the globe.
In fact, Apple Music has a whole playlist of songs that mention him, separated by continent and featuring songs by Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Bad Bunny, Stormzy, Burna Boy and many more.
In new clips from his sit-down interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, shared exclusively via Billboard, the Argentine athlete revealed that he’s “flattered” to be mentioned so often in song lyrics. “My sons also enjoy it and they are surprised to hear my name in a song,” he added of 12-year-old Thiago, 9-year-old Mateo and 6-year-old Ciro. “It’s actually really nice to be part of music from that angle.”
Messi continued, “For me, that is very moving and I am grateful to those who did it because I know that in all the lyrics, they mention me with lots of affection, flattering me for some reason.”
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However, it’s not the music that makes him a “cool dad”; it’s his athletic achievements, from leading Argentina to the World Cup in 2022 to his Inter Miami squad winning the 2023 Leagues Cup after his MLS debut. “My thing is the field,” he says. “When things work out well, and we have a chance to celebrate a title as a group or individually and to be able to enjoy it with them is special for me. … To achieve in this sport and to enjoy it with them, for me, that is the best.”
Messi also discussed his general relationship with music and how much sports and music are intertwined. “We listen to music in our everyday lives or before the matches and after the matches as well. The football environment and the locker room has music constantly,” he shares. “Generally, music is present in everything we do.”
He continues, “I’ve always had that craze of listening to music going to games or listening to music before matches. During my whole career, it’s always been this way. Football and music coexist in a lot of these moments and places.”
Watch the exclusive clip below. Zane Lowe’s full interview with Lionel Messi will be available on Apple Music, YouTube and MLS Season Pass beginning Friday (Feb. 28). Fans can watch Inter Miami and all of Major League Soccer’s 2025 season exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.