Messi has been at the top of world football for more than two decades. From his early years at Barcelona to his successes with Inter Miami and the Argentine national team, the striker continues to maintain an extremely high level. In addition to talent, training and recovery, nutrition also plays an important role in his longevity. At the beginning of his career, however, Messi's menu was far from being an example of a professional athlete.
Pizza, fast food and soda were among his favorite things, and he often ate the traditional Argentine milanesa. In the early 2010s, the workload began to take its toll, with Messi having problems with injuries and sometimes even vomiting on the pitch before matches. In 2014, the Argentine decided to make a serious change and started working with Italian nutritionist Giuliano Poser, who was allegedly recommended to Messi by his Argentina teammate Martin Demichelis.
Poser completely changed his diet, placing five main products at the center of his diet - water, olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. At the same time, Messi significantly reduced sugar and red meat. “He eliminated processed foods and replaced them with products rich in vitamins - cereals, vegetables, fish and olive oil. He had won everything, but he wanted to continue at this level for many more years and he realized that he had to change something“, Poser told “La Gazzetta dello Sport”.
The result of the change was not long in coming. In the 2014/15 season, Messi scored 58 goals and made 23 assists, as Barcelona won a historic treble - the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Poser also encouraged the Argentine to limit carbonated drinks and replace them with mate - a traditional South American drink with caffeine and antioxidants. Messi became a big fan of the drink and even shared photos with it on social media. "I like my mate hot and bitter. I used to drink it with sugar, but then I got used to the bitterness," he admitted to "Marca" in 2019.
Messi's favorite dish is also not something extravagant. Barcelona published a recipe for roasted chicken with vegetables, olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots, leeks, potatoes and fresh thyme. Despite the strict regime, however, the Argentine has never completely given up sweets. He himself admits that the hardest things for him to resist are chocolate, dulce de leche and ice cream. "I like anything sweet. I try not to eat too much, but I like it," says Messi. He also allows himself a glass of wine from time to time, and these days he uses his own brand of sports drink, "Mas+", alongside water in his training regimen.