Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof names Lionel Messi as childhood idol

Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof has revealed that Lionel Messi was his football idol while growing up, saying he had heard the Argentina forward discussed “everywhere” since childhood.

Asked which player he looked up to as a youngster, Bischof identified Messi as the clear answer. The Germany midfielder said: “Messi is my idol, I heard people talking about him everywhere from an early age.”

Messi came through the Barcelona academy and spent most of his career with the Catalan club. His development at Barcelona established him as one of the most prominent figures in football, while his performances ensured that his name was widely discussed throughout Bischof’s childhood.

The 39-year-old forward currently plays for Inter Miami in the United States. Despite Messi’s career now being at a different stage, Bischof still hopes he might one day share a pitch with the player he admired growing up.

Bischof has previously admitted that facing Messi would be a personal ambition. He described the possibility as a small dream, although he acknowledged that he does not particularly believe it will happen.

For the Bayern Munich midfielder, the prospect is not simply another potential fixture. It would represent the chance to play against the footballer who had been a constant presence in conversations about the game during his formative years.

Messi’s long association with Barcelona is central to the admiration expressed by Bischof. The forward spent the majority of his career at the club after progressing through its youth system, making Barcelona the principal setting for his rise in football.

He now represents Inter Miami, where he continues his playing career at the age of 39. Bischof’s comments underline the distance between the beginning of that career and his own childhood memories of hearing Messi’s name regularly discussed.

The Bayern Munich player has not claimed that a meeting with Messi is likely. Instead, he has presented it as an unlikely but meaningful possibility: a small personal ambition connected to the player who was his idol when he was young.

Bischof’s admiration therefore remains rooted in his early years, when Messi’s career at Barcelona made him a familiar name to football followers. Although the two players currently represent clubs in different countries, the midfielder would still welcome the opportunity to face his childhood hero if the chance arises.