Lionel Messi reveals the advice Ronaldinho gave him at the age of 16

Lionel Messi recounted how Brazilian legend Ronaldinho helped him break into FC Barcelona's first team when he was only 16 years old.

Messi made his FC Barcelona first-team debut in 2004 as a teenager, joining a dressing room full of established stars.

According to him, Ronaldinho, who was then one of the biggest names in the club, greatly facilitated his integration into the first team.

Speaking to students in Oviedo on Thursday, before receiving the Princess of Asturias Sports Award, the Inter Miami striker recounted how the presence of established stars had initially intimidated him.

"I had to walk into a first-division dressing room full of stars when I was only 16 years old. I was nervous."

"I had players like Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Xavi, Carlos Puyol and many others around me."

"It was difficult for me because of my personality. I'm shy and I had trouble coming out of my shell," Messi said, according to GB News on Friday.

Messi said his more experienced teammates urged him not to be intimidated by their reputation, but to focus on the football he had loved since childhood.

"They told me to forget everything, to forget the context, and to simply enjoy the present moment and do what I had always done since childhood, without worrying about who was next to me."

"They told me to do what I loved and what I enjoyed," he said.

The Argentinian eventually became the top scorer in FC Barcelona's history and won numerous major titles during his time with the Spanish club.