I Lied to Play for Barca: Boateng’s Real Madrid Crush, Lionel Messi, and the Press Conference Confession

Boateng's Hidden Dream: Real Madrid, Ronaldo, and Barcelona's Lie

The Ghanaian star Kevin-Prince Boateng, the former Milan midfielder, dropped a bombshell about his career, revealing that Real Madrid was his favorite team even though he wore Barcelona colors.

During a podcast appearance, Boateng said, "I was one of Real Madrid's biggest fans since childhood, and I always said I wanted to play for Real Madrid; people knew that before I signed for Barcelona."

The Press Conference Confession

Two years before signing for Barcelona, when he played for Las Palmas, he was asked to name the world's best player; he replied Cristiano Ronaldo and said Real Madrid was his favorite team.

When he signed for Barcelona, they told him his favorite team was Barcelona and that Lionel Messi was the best in the world. He admits he had to lie at another press conference to be allowed to play; otherwise, playing for Barça would have been impossible.

He adds that he knows this has happened to other players as well. He recalls sitting at the conference, with the first question: who is the best player in the world? I answered Lionel Messi.

Boateng had a loan spell at Barcelona for half a season in 2019, after stints with Milan, Dortmund, Tottenham, and Schalke.

Two subtle life lessons here: sometimes the truth is heavier than a football boot, and sometimes you need a clever fib to get on the pitch—and still keep your sanity for the celebrations after the final whistle.