Bad diet was the reason I used to vomit on pitch: Football superstar Lionel Messi

There were concerns over Messi’s state of health and many thought the five-time Ballon d’Or might have an illness, or was suffering from stress.

A change in his diet has helped Argentine FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi not throw up on the pitch during games, the celebrated forward revealed. “I ate badly for many years: chocolates, fizzy drinks, and everything,” Messi told La Cornisa TV.

“That is what made me throw up during games. Now I look after myself better. I eat fish, meat, salads. Everything is organised and taken care of,” Messi added. There were concerns over Messi’s state of health and many thought the five-time Ballon d’Or might have an illness, or was suffering from stress.

“I’ve learned to live the way I do, to be myself because at the end of the day it’s easier to do it that way,” the 30-year-old conceded. “I don’t think too much about how I have to act because of constantly being watched. I’m aware that whenever I speak there are many people that listen, that there are repercussions. I always try to think about what I say in order not to generate controversies.”

Messi added that the birth in 2012 of his first son, Thiago, influenced his life and he could take on-field defeats in a better way. “The arrival of my first son (Thiago) made me open my mind, not to focus solely on my profession, on football,” he said.

“Of course I don’t like to draw or lose but I take it differently. There are many important things other than a result. “In the end it’s a game and everyone wants to win, be a champion and be the best. But at times it’s not possible. You can’t always win and not always the best one wins. I learned that when it’s over, there are other things... being with my children, my wife, my family, the rest is secondary.”