Football and life will never be the same again, confesses Lionel Messi

The global pandemic has taken well over 400,000 lives across the world which forced a large portion of the globe into lockdown and put a halt on any group gatherings. That meant that almost all sporting action across the planet was on lockdown but things have been slowly returning to normal over the last few weeks. The Bundesliga’s return was the first with the other three major European football leagues set to resume by mid-June.

However, games will be played behind closed doors with no possible timeline on when fans can start watching again from stadiums again. Not only that, but the financial impact of the virus has also been a massive problem with many clubs across the world on the verge of bankruptcy. That has seen Barcelona captain Lionel Messi admit that because of the COVID-19 pandemic football, life, and sports, in general, will never be the same again.

"I don't think football will ever be the same. But beyond football, I don't think life, in general, will ever be the same, either. All of us that have experienced this situation will remember what happened in one way or another. In my case, it's with a feeling of sorrow and frustration for those that have suffered the most due to the loss of loved ones," Messi revealed, reported ESPN.

"I am sure that football and sport, in general, will be affected. Financially, because there are companies linked with the world of sport that will maybe experience some difficulties because of the coronavirus. But also professionally, because with the return to training and competing, what was normal before now is going to be different. It will be a strange situation for us as athletes but also for anyone that has to change their usual work dynamic," he added.