Speaking in an interview, Musiala said that he chose the number 10 because of his favorite players, all FC Barcelona players: Lionel Messi, Neymar and Ronaldinho all wore the number 10 shirt on the field.

“I grew up in the era of Ronaldinho, Neymar and Messi. They all wore the number 10 and for me, it was always my dream to wear that number,” Musiala said .

The 21-year-old Bayern Munich star also confirmed once again that his favourite players were “without a doubt Messi and Ronaldinho”, although the German also confessed to loving France, Juventus and Zinedine Zidane as a child. However, his No. 1 idol is definitely Messi.

Young player playing for Bayern admires Messi                  

“I admire him a lot and have always been fascinated by him. I grew up watching Leo and Neymar play. They are my favorites because they helped me learn a lot and inspired me in my football.

I always learned from them: watching Leo score goals or Neymar do tricks. Then I would go out in the garden and try to imitate them. I was always a fan of theirs,” Musiala shared.

However, the German said he was not ready to be compared to the Argentine superstar:  “I don’t think I can compare anything to Messi and it’s almost an impossible task. I think comparing myself to Leo or any other player is useless. I pursue my career year by year and I continue to play to try to be better and win titles for my team.”

Musiala learns how to play football from Neymar and Messi

Musiala was Bayern Munich’s youngest ever player in 2020 and has won four Bundesliga titles and one Champions League with the club.

However, the German star insists he has a long way to go to achieve Lionel’s eight-time Ballon d’Or legacy, and feels that his daily progress can pave the way to such a destination.