Lionel Messi admits he was cheering against Real Madrid in UCL final | OneFootball

Barcelona icon Lionel Messi has this week opened up on his allegiances during the recent Champions League final.

The headline fixture in all of European football was of course played to completion almost two weeks ago.

The matchup in question saw continental specialists Real Madrid lock horns with surprise package Borussia Dortmund, at Wembley Stadium.

When all was said and done in England’s capital, it was the former, as expected, who emerged on the right side of the result, thanking goals on the part of Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Jr. for an eventual 2-0 triumph.

And one individual who has since made clear that this proved far from the outcome he was hoping for, comes in the form of the aforementioned Lionel Messi.

Speaking during an in-depth interview with ESPN Argentina this week, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was drawn on the recent Champions League showpiece.

And the veteran attacker was not shy in admitting that, owing to his Barcelona past, he found himself firmly pulling for the defeated Dortmund:

“The Champions League final? We were supporting Dortmund obviously. I’m a Barcelona fan and if theoretically Barcelona was in the final, Real Madrid fans would support the opponent too. That’s how it is in football. Since childhood I’ve been a Barcelona fan, I love Barça. Today, I’m just a fan from afar and I hope that we will fight for the Champions League again. It’s been a long time since we won one.”

Conor Laird | GSFN