Claudio Bravo has commented on Lionel Messi’s decision to end his career with the Argentina national team, describing his former Barcelona team-mate as “a completely ordinary person”.
Bravo, who played alongside Messi at Barcelona between 2014 and 2016, is the latest former team-mate to speak about the Argentine forward’s decision. His remarks focus on Messi away from the public image of one of football’s most celebrated players.
The former Barcelona goalkeeper said: “Messi is a completely ordinary person.”
The comment comes after Messi decided to bring his international career with Argentina to an end. The source report does not provide further detail about the circumstances surrounding Bravo’s remarks or explain whether the pair have discussed the decision directly.
Messi’s choice has prompted reactions from people who worked with him during his career, including Bravo, who shared a Barcelona dressing room with the Argentina captain for two seasons. Bravo represented the club from 2014 until 2016, a period during which the two players were team-mates.
Although Messi is widely regarded as an exceptional footballer, Bravo’s description presents a different side of the forward. Rather than focusing on his performances or achievements, the former Barcelona player chose to underline Messi’s ordinary character away from the attention that surrounds him.
The original report identifies Bravo as a former Barcelona partner of Messi and says that he also decided to give his view on the Argentine superstar’s decision to retire from international football. It does not include any additional comments from Bravo beyond the assessment that Messi is “a completely ordinary person”.
Messi’s decision concerns his future with the Argentina national team and does not refer in the report to any change in his club career. No further information is provided about the timing of the decision, the reasons behind it or whether he could reconsider.
Bravo’s period at Barcelona is the main link between the two men highlighted in the report. He joined the club in 2014 and remained there until 2016, sharing the team with Messi before leaving the Spanish side.
The remarks therefore offer a brief personal response rather than a detailed account of Messi’s international career. Bravo’s central message is that, despite Messi’s status as an Argentine football superstar, he regards the forward as a normal person.
