It’s not every day that you get to play alongside one of the greatest footballers of all time, but for Sergiño Dest, that dream came true at Barcelona with Lionel Messi. However, the dream was short-lived, and Messi’s abrupt exit from the club left Dest feeling like something more could have blossomed between them, both on and off the field.

Recently, Dest expressed his feelings about what it meant for Lionel Messi to leave them and how it was their initial time to be connected. It’s not as if he didn’t know that this might happen; playing with a talented player like Messi is an experience that every player dreams of and the young American right-back undeniably regrets he couldn’t be part of something extraordinary.

For Sergiño Dest, joining Barcelona in 2020 was a hopeful turning point professionally. Upon arriving, he was eager to showcase his progress at one of the world’s elite football clubs. And who wouldn’t be excited to share a dressing room with Lionel Messi? The two had only one season together, but it was enough for Dest to feel Messi’s impact, both as a teammate and a leader.

However, in the summer of 2021, Messi’s leaving the team due to FC Barcelona’s financial issues startled the soccer world. For Dest, losing the legendary star was losing the opportunity to have more time to play with the Argentine maestro. “I would’ve had an even better relationship with him. I would have loved more time with him. We had built rapport,” he said.

Well, it might be La Pulga’s influence, Dest has a mission to keep the game exciting.

Sergiño Dest’s mission to keep soccer creative and skillful

Dest is known for his speed and skill on the field. But he’s also worried that soccer today focuses too much on tactics and strength. The USMNT player believes the game is losing its creative side. To help fix this, he opened a small soccer field in his Dutch hometown. This gives young players a space to work on their skills and get creative with the ball.

Dest wants the new generation of soccer stars to look at creativity as the new talent, he believes that creativity is being lost in today’s environment which is fast-paced and results-based. He is going to continue opening pitches, including some in the United States, to make the game more dynamic and expressive with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon. The vision of Dest was simple, he wanted to keep the game exciting and skillful for fans and players alike.

From backyard kicks to global stages, Dest’s game plan to nurture the creative spark in U.S. soccer’s next-gen is nothing short of revolutionary.