Lionel Messi Made Me Want To Quit Soccer, Says Former Barcelona Midfielder

Kevin-Prince Boateng, who spent six months on loan at FC Barcelona during the 2018-19 season, said he found Lionel Messi to be so good that he thought of quitting the sport entirely.

Prince, 33, plays as both forward and midfielder, and he is often known for his strength, foot speed, and ball-juggling tricks. While representing Italian club Sassuolo, Prince was sent to Barcelona on loan, where he won the La Liga title despite making as little as five appearances for the first-team.

"The six months in Barcelona were incredible. At first, I didn't believe it. I thought it was Espanyol who wanted me, not the real Barcelona! Training with Messi left me speechless. I had always said that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best in the world, but Messi is something else. He's not normal. While training with him, I felt inadequate for the first time in my career. He was doing incredible things. I felt like saying, 'I'm done, I'm going to quit playing!'" Boateng was quoted by Goal, as saying.

Prince, who was born in Germany, went on to play for Ghana, and 2014 was the last time he appeared in international soccer. He scored two goals in 15 appearances for Ghana after making his debut in 2010.

After making his first-team debut with German club Herth BSC in 2005, Prince has played for clubs across countries such as England, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The forward has played for major clubs including, Tottenham, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona. In the same interview, Boateng admitted he could have potentially accomplished more.

"When I was young, at Tottenham, it's true: I bought three luxury cars in one day, but there was so much pain inside me. I was trying to buy happiness. I wasn't happy. I wasn't playing. I wasn't well and so I was looking for something else. Sure, I would change that part of my past. Often, I trusted only my talent and, with the talent I have, without being arrogant, I could have done a lot more. Although, I have had a beautiful career anyway, " Prince added.

Ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, Prince moved to newly-promoted Serie B side Monza on a one-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year.