"I did not dare to look him in the face" - When Lionel Messi explained how he reacted when Barcelona signed Thierry Henry

Argentine legend Lionel Messi, who is one of the best players in the world, once recollected how he felt when Thierry Henry first arrived in Barcelona. Speaking to L'Equipe (via 365Football) in 2022, the Argentine superstar mentioned how awestruck he was by the former Arsenal player's arrival in Camp Nou.

Thierry Henry was widely regarded as one of the best players in the world when he arrived at Barcelona in 2007. He even scored 19 goals and gave 12 assists in 47 games across competitions in his debut season for Barca, while Messi ended up finding the back of the net on 16 occasions. The Frenchman played up front with Lionel Messi operating on the right wing.

“The first day he entered the dressing room, I did not dare to look him in the face. I knew everything he had done in England. I had an image of him made and suddenly we were on the same team. What I feel for Titi may be a form of admiration," Messi had said.

“I loved Henry. The ease of finishing an action, how he takes the road to the goal and ends the play. He gives the impression that it is natural. His career, his dribbling, the last gesture. It is fluid, proportionate,” he added.

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Lionel Messi creating records for Inter Miami in MLS

Lionel Messi is one of the leading goalscorers in the Major League Soccer, where he now plies his trade for Inter Miami. The Argentine skipper ended the 2024 season with 21 goals to his name and also provided 11 assists, including the playoffs. Messi's arrival has uplifted the MLS and made it a competition worth vying for.

In October, the diminutive Argentine scored a hat-trick in the 6-2 demolition of New England Revolution. In the process, he became Inter Miami's highest-ever goal scorer with 33 goals, breaking Leonardo Campana's previous record of 32 goals. After the win, Miami also broke the record for most points accumulated in a single season (74), breaking Revolution's record from 2022.

La Pulga, who left Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami in the 2023 summer transfer window, has scored 34 goals and given 18 assists in 39 appearances for the Herons across all competitions.