There’s very little that Lionel Messi can’t do with a football. Yet somehow, even after two decades of wizardry, he still finds new ways to stun us.
This time, the shockwave didn’t come from his left foot
— but from his voice.
A clip from MLS’s new “Ref Cam” has gone viral on X after catching Messi doing the unthinkable: speaking English to the referee while hilariously appealing for a foul.
Did I just hear Messi speak ???????????????????????????? ⁉️👀
“Foul… Foul… No foul!?” 🗣️
This @MLS ref cam is absolutely ???????????????????????????????????? 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ivj7GPMDS3
— 433 (@433) December 11, 2025
Yes, that’s Messi. The man who almost exclusively sticks to Spanish and Catalan.
The footage was taken during Inter Miami’s MLS Cup final win over Vancouver Whitecaps, where the David Beckham-owned side lifted the title with a 3–1 victory at Chase Stadium.
And just in case anyone thought Messi was too busy practising his English to play football… he dominated that part too.
Messi was involved in all three Inter Miami goals — starting the move that forced the opening own goal, stealing the ball off Andrés Cubas to launch another attack, and slipping a perfect through-ball to Rodrigo De Paul, who coolly beat Yohei Takaoka.
So why did this tiny English snippet break the internet? Simple: Messi has long been known as the global superstar who understands English but rarely speaks it.
Here’s the Ref Cam footage in its entirety:
Messi saying “no foul” 😭🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/SpLavVrCgJ
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) December 10, 2025
In a press conference last year, he admitted exactly that.
“I understand everything, or almost everything, in English. But out of embarrassment, I don’t speak — but I think I can actually,” Messi revealed.
Inter Miami teammate Julian Gressel confirmed the GOAT is more fluent than he lets on.
“He came over to me and said something in English… after, he goes, ‘English pretty good, no?’”
Classic Leo — shy, humble, playful, unstoppable.
Whether he’s dropping defenders or dropping English one-liners, Messi continues to master the universal language of football. And honestly? That’s the only language the world needs from him.
