Zanetti Urges Young People to Follow Messi’s Example

Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti has described playing alongside a young Lionel Messi as a privilege, saying figures like the Argentine forward should serve as inspiration for children.

The remarks came in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, reported by TUTTOmercatoWEB. Zanetti was asked about young people today often choosing a phone over sport, and he pushed back gently, arguing that when youngsters are given real opportunities and alternatives, they tend to make the most of them.

He tied that idea to wellbeing more broadly, insisting mental health matters just as much as physical health, and pointed to how his own charitable work has ended up helping far more children than he and his collaborators ever anticipated when they began. The same logic underpins projects like the one that recently saw Pio Esposito delay his holiday to coach at Voluntas Brescia, a reminder that senior figures shaping young players extends beyond the pitch.

Why Zanetti Sees Messi as a Model

Zanetti recalled playing with Messi when Messi was still young, calling it a privilege given everything the forward has represented on and off the pitch. With Messi reportedly nearing his exit from the Argentina national team, Zanetti said he will be missed, and repeated that stories and people like his should inspire the next generation.