Leo Messi explains his apology to River Plate fans after goal

Leo Messi explains his apology to River Plate fans after goal

Lionel Messi says he'd like to play football in Argentina again one day, and also explained why he apologised to River Plate fans after scoring against them in the Club World Cup. 

He notched the first goal of the final, which Barcelona eventually won, disappointing the 16,000 plus fans who had made the trip to Japan.

After scoring he raised his hand in apology and when asked why, in an interview with FIFA, Messi replied: "I know how much effort all those fans made in making that trip and how excited they were. And there was me, the Argentinian, scoring the first goal and ruining it all for them. I don’t know if I was actually saying sorry, but it was a type of apology."

Then questioned about a potential return to his natural homeland to play, he said: "I had to leave at a very early age because of my situation and it didn’t happen. I had to go to Europe, start out with Barcelona and make my career there. But I would like to return to Argentinian football one day. What happens after that, only God knows."