leaving the Treble winners in the future, and has denied he
is in competition with Ballon d'Or rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi, 28, was linked with Chelsea in January amid reports
of an alleged fallout with Barca coach Luis Enrique, but
went on to score 58 goals last season to help the Blaugrana
win La Liga, the Champions League and Copa de Rey.
Asked whether he could ever see himself playing in another
league, the Argentina captain -- who was ruled out of action
for seven to eight weeks in late September with a knee
injury -- told Yahoo Sports: "I don't want to look too far
ahead. I live for the moment and at this moment I am with
Barcelona in the Spanish league where I have made my
living and where I live very well."
The Barca talisman is one of the favourites for the 2015
Ballon d'Or but faces strong competition from Real Madrid
star Ronaldo, with the Portugal captain having lifted the
award on the past two occasions.
Despite talk of a rivalry between the pair, Messi insists
Ronaldo -- who hit a career-best of 61 goals for Los
Blancos last term and recently became Madrid's all-top top
scorer -- is not his nemesis.
"These are things that people say," the three-time Ballon
d'Or winner said. "I don't compete with Cristiano and I
suppose he would not compete with me. What I want is the
very best for my teams and that's what I am working for.
"[I'm] the same as any other sportsman that has to
complete his training regime and then do just the same as
any other person does and rest with his family and friends."
Messi tore the internal collateral ligament of his left knee
early in Barca's 2-1 La Liga win against Las Palmas on
Sept. 26, and is currently out of action.
Regarding his enforced absence, Messi said: "[The injury]
was a strange feeling, different from other times. I knew
that it wasn't a minor hit and that it was something more
serious than just a slight knock.
"[I'm] upbeat, wanting to get on with my recovery. Being
injured is the worst feeling in the world for a sportsman, but
right from the start I accepted that I had an injury and that
the only thing to do was to recover from it the best way
possible. The most important thing for me is to be at 100
percent fitness.
"I knew I was injured right from the start, and although at
first you are obviously worried, after the diagnosis and all
the repercussions emanating from the injury you
understand that you have to be patient. I don't think it was
difficult for me to accept and take on board."
Messi is optimistic about his return date, saying: "When the
way I'm feeling and the doctors tell me that I can. I am
improving every day without setting myself any targets. I
have always said that I don't set myself any dates because
it isn't up to me. As much as I would like to play tomorrow,
the doctors wouldn't let me. When they tell me that I have
recovered completely will be the time that I will make my
return onto the pitch."
Nutritionist Giuliano Poser confirmed in July he helped
Messi change his diet which led to the forward's fine
2014-15 campaign, but Messi said there were no
extraordinary changes.
"This is something else about which there has been many
false things said," he continued. "My diet prohibits me from
eating certain things that were doing me harm but that
doesn't mean that I've changed my whole diet or my
physical training.
"There were some changes or replacements that worked
well and I enjoy a full diet and nothing out of the ordinary."
Messi said that the birth of his second son Mateo in
September has not changed his approach to football, but
helps him to move beyond the game when away from the
pitch.
"In a footballing sense nothing has changed but perhaps
maybe it has in regards to facing those responsibilities that
any father has with regards to the raising of his children,"
he added. "I still hate losing a game, but when I arrive home
I do know that I will have the consolation of seeing my
sons.
"Unfortunately we live in a society that lives at 1,000
kilometres an hour, and in a sport as popular as football
that grows and grows and becomes the escape valve for
the problems of many people.
"I don't need to impress anyone because that isn't why I
play. I play because I like it and because it is my
profession...
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