What is Lionel Messi's idol?

Lionel Messi’s First Football Idol: Pablo Aimar

Long before Lionel Messi became a global football icon, he was just a young boy from Rosario with a dream and a hero to look up to. That hero wasn’t Diego Maradona, nor was it a European superstar—it was Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar.

Messi admired Aimar’s elegance, vision, and effortless control on the ball. As a teenager, Messi followed River Plate’s performances closely, captivated by the way Aimar orchestrated the game with creativity and grace. The connection runs deeper than admiration: both came through Newell’s Old Boys’ youth academy. In fact, Newell’s had initially agreed to financially support Messi’s treatment for his growth hormone deficiency but later withdrew their commitment, a painful moment for the young prodigy.

River Plate, where Aimar shone, scouted Messi early on. Though he never joined them, the influence of his idol remained. Years later, when Messi finally made his Argentina debut, it was Aimar—by then a senior figure in the national team setup—who warmly welcomed him. Messi has since acknowledged Aimar’s impact, not just as a player he looked up to, but as someone who subtly shaped his understanding of rhythm and intelligence in football.

Interestingly, the bond came full circle when Messi played alongside Aimar’s former teammate and friend, Juan Sebastián Verón, and later faced Aimar in international competitions. Even as Messi went on to break records and collect Ballon d’Or trophies, he never downplayed the role that early inspiration played.

In a career defined by brilliance, it’s a quiet reminder that even the greatest start by admiring someone else’s light—before eventually becoming one.