JAKARTA - When football fans recall Argentina's historic victory at the 2022 World Cup, Lionel Messi is not only remembered as the best playmaker, but also as a legendary captain who managed to unite the whole nation.
In 2026, the 38-year-old icon is set to make history by embarking on his record-breaking sixth World Cup campaign.
Argentina will begin their bid to defend their title on Wednesday in a highly anticipated Group J match against Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium.
To stay at the top of world football at an age when most players have long since retired, Messi relies on a famously strict fitness and diet regime.
With a height of 1.69 meters, Messi's journey to football glory was marked by great physical challenges. After starting to train at the age of four, his growth suffered a significant setback. At the age of 10, his height was only about 1.25 meters.
At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) which is often associated with short body conditions. Overcoming this diagnosis requires incredible mental toughness, because Messi had to inject growth hormone into his own legs every night for three years.
It was this childhood struggle that shaped the incredible resilience that later became the hallmark of his professional career.
To maintain his athletic ability and physical condition at the elite level, Messi's nutrition team designed a special diet that focuses on eliminating refined sugar and simple carbohydrates.
Here are the 5 categories of daily intake consumed by Messi, as reported by The Standard.
1. Drinking Water Routine
Consume large amounts of water to maintain cellular hydration.
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Used as the main cooking oil, it is rich in oleic acid which is good for heart health and helps manage cholesterol levels.
3. Whole Grains
Complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index that help stabilize blood sugar, control body fat, and provide energy gradually.
4. Fresh Fruits
Rich in important vitamins and natural antioxidants.
5. Fresh Vegetables
Provides fiber, minerals, and Omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for the body.
Twelve Years Without Fast Food
Messi's incredible endurance is also the result of the various foods he avoids. In 2014, his former coach, Pep Guardiola, warned that if he wanted to extend his career at the highest level, he had to stop drinking soda and pizza permanently.
With incredible discipline, Messi is rumored to have avoided both foods for twelve consecutive years.
Among his favorite dishes, his favorite dish is roast chicken served with root vegetables, cooked with a little salt and a little olive oil.
In addition to a strict diet, Messi also undergoes a very structured fitness program and is supported by modern technology.
At the fitness center, he uses a variety of special functional training tools to activate the stabilizing muscles that are often not trained in regular exercise programs. In addition, body core exercises such as sit-ups remain a routine part of his daily routine.
By strengthening his back, abdominal muscles, and buttocks, Messi is able to maintain an incredible body core stability, a low center of gravity, and explosive acceleration that allows him to continue to pass defenders who are even half his age.
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