'It was strange' - Ex-Barcelona star claims Lionel Messi 'greeted me with a kiss every time I arrived' while reflecting on 'difficult' time at Camp Nou

Talented winger Trincao moved to Catalunya from Braga in his native Portugal in the summer of 2020. Said switch gave him the opportunity to work with some iconic figures at Camp Nou, including South American superstars Messi and Luis Suarez.

The now 25-year-old Sporting star enjoyed that experience, but has told Relevo of cultural differences that took some getting used to: “At first it was a bit strange, because culturally, in Argentina and Uruguay, they kiss a lot to greet each other and it was strange for Messi to greet me with a kiss every time I arrived at the academy. Then I got used to it, but in the first few weeks it was difficult.

“On the pitch, Messi was very calm. He set an example more than he spoke to us, he helped us on the pitch, where we should go and what to do. He would tell us something and we would accept it because what he said was true.”

Trincao took in 42 appearances for Barca during his debut campaign, but was then loaned out to Wolves and Sporting before agreeing a permanent return to Portugal. He added on his time with the Blaugrana: “Being 20 years old and having a club like Barça saying they want you, I don't think anyone can say no. I would never have said no to Barcelona, but maturity comes with time. If I continue like this, with this consistency, I'm sure I'll be better in two years. Defining myself? It's difficult... But I would say that I'm humble, very grateful for what I have and very hard-working.”

Trincao, who has become a regular source of goals for Sporting, is now working alongside Viktor Gyokeres in Lisbon. He said of the prolific Swedish striker, who is being linked with leading sides across Europe: “He surprised me a lot. At the beginning I saw that he had a lot of quality, but then he kept scoring goal after goal, with the mentality he had, very competitive, that surprised me a lot. He is doing very well and I think he has the ability to play for a big club, although for me he is already at a big club, but I think he has the ability to be very competitive and has a very good mentality, I am sure he will be ready to play anywhere.”

There has been talk of Barcelona making a move for Gyokeres as they look to land a long-term replacement for Polish frontman Robert Lewandowski. Messi, meanwhile, is now plying his trade in MLS alongside fellow Barca icons Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami.