Novak Djokovic asks Messi about handling pressure. Argentina star's response is gold
At Fanatics Fest in Manhattan, Novak Djokovic asked Lionel Messi how he handles pressure. The answer from the Argentina superstar won hearts and showed how Messi remained true to himself throughout his footballing journey.
A conversation between two great sportspersons is always going to bring in some great moments. This is exactly what happened on Saturday during the Fanatics Fest event in Manhattan, when Novak Djokovic decided to interview Lionel Messi.
Djokovic decided to put across a simple question, one that he had encountered in countless press conferences during his illustrious career. How does Messi handle pressure?
"How did you learn to block out pressure and stay true to your playing style?", asked Djokovic.
The answer from Messi showed how the Argentina star has stayed true to himself right from the early days of his career. The 39-year-old said that he always saw pressure as something natural and just focused on playing and enjoying the sport.
Messi said that he learned to accept that winning isn't always possible in sport.
"I never thought too much about pressure. I always saw it as something natural: going out to play, enjoy, and compete. We are highly competitive and always want to win, but we also understand that this is a sport, that the opponent also plays, and that winning is not always possible," he explained.
'YOU LOSE MORE THAN YOU WIN'
Messi continued by saying that he learnt that in sport the losses tend to outweigh the wins more often than not, and accepting this fact helped him greatly in dealing with pressure.
"Over time, I learned that you lose much more than you win. Understanding that helped me grow as a person and as a player," said Messi.
The event also saw Messi interact with American Football legend Tom Brady and NBA icon Kevin Durant, among others. Messi then shared an iconic selfie with Djokovic, Brady and Durant to close out a memorable event for the fans.
Messi will now be in action when Argentina face Spain in the final of the World Cup 2026 in New York on Sunday, July 19.
FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News
A conversation between two great sportspersons is always going to bring in some great moments. This is exactly what happened on Saturday during the Fanatics Fest event in Manhattan, when Novak Djokovic decided to interview Lionel Messi.
Djokovic decided to put across a simple question, one that he had encountered in countless press conferences during his illustrious career. How does Messi handle pressure?
"How did you learn to block out pressure and stay true to your playing style?", asked Djokovic.
The answer from Messi showed how the Argentina star has stayed true to himself right from the early days of his career. The 39-year-old said that he always saw pressure as something natural and just focused on playing and enjoying the sport.
Messi said that he learned to accept that winning isn't always possible in sport.
"I never thought too much about pressure. I always saw it as something natural: going out to play, enjoy, and compete. We are highly competitive and always want to win, but we also understand that this is a sport, that the opponent also plays, and that winning is not always possible," he explained.
'YOU LOSE MORE THAN YOU WIN'
Messi continued by saying that he learnt that in sport the losses tend to outweigh the wins more often than not, and accepting this fact helped him greatly in dealing with pressure.
"Over time, I learned that you lose much more than you win. Understanding that helped me grow as a person and as a player," said Messi.
The event also saw Messi interact with American Football legend Tom Brady and NBA icon Kevin Durant, among others. Messi then shared an iconic selfie with Djokovic, Brady and Durant to close out a memorable event for the fans.
Messi will now be in action when Argentina face Spain in the final of the World Cup 2026 in New York on Sunday, July 19.
FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News
A conversation between two great sportspersons is always going to bring in some great moments. This is exactly what happened on Saturday during the Fanatics Fest event in Manhattan, when Novak Djokovic decided to interview Lionel Messi.
Djokovic decided to put across a simple question, one that he had encountered in countless press conferences during his illustrious career. How does Messi handle pressure?
"How did you learn to block out pressure and stay true to your playing style?", asked Djokovic.
The answer from Messi showed how the Argentina star has stayed true to himself right from the early days of his career. The 39-year-old said that he always saw pressure as something natural and just focused on playing and enjoying the sport.
Messi said that he learned to accept that winning isn't always possible in sport.
"I never thought too much about pressure. I always saw it as something natural: going out to play, enjoy, and compete. We are highly competitive and always want to win, but we also understand that this is a sport, that the opponent also plays, and that winning is not always possible," he explained.
'YOU LOSE MORE THAN YOU WIN'
Messi continued by saying that he learnt that in sport the losses tend to outweigh the wins more often than not, and accepting this fact helped him greatly in dealing with pressure.
"Over time, I learned that you lose much more than you win. Understanding that helped me grow as a person and as a player," said Messi.
The event also saw Messi interact with American Football legend Tom Brady and NBA icon Kevin Durant, among others. Messi then shared an iconic selfie with Djokovic, Brady and Durant to close out a memorable event for the fans.
Messi will now be in action when Argentina face Spain in the final of the World Cup 2026 in New York on Sunday, July 19.
FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News
