Lionel Messi is famously private about the mechanics of his body. He does not sell a supplement line, he does not post a morning stack, and he has never published a list of pills he takes. What he and his team have discussed openly, across more than a decade of interviews, is food. In 2014 Messi began working with the Italian nutritionist Giuliano Poser, and the diet they built together is one of the most documented parts of his career (Man of Many).
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This is an independent editorial breakdown. We are not claiming Messi takes any specific product or brand, because he has never said so. Instead we map what is on the public record about how he eats, then lay out the evidence-based categories that tend to support the kind of anti-inflammatory, recovery-first regimen an elite footballer follows. The nutrition below is his and is sourced. The supplement categories are our own editorial picks, framed as general education, and we flag them plainly as such. None of this is medical advice.
What Messi changed in 2014
Before Poser, Messi's habits looked like a lot of young players: soda, chocolate, and by his critics' account too much pizza. He also dealt with recurring soft tissue problems and bouts of vomiting during matches. Poser's fix was not exotic. He stripped out the inflammatory triggers, refined sugar first of all, and rebuilt the plate around whole foods (GiveMeSport). Poser has been blunt about the priority. Sugar, he said, is the worst thing for the muscles, and the farther Messi stays away from it the better. He was almost as hard on refined flour, and he argued that the amount of red meat typical in Argentina is simply too much to digest cleanly (Goal).
The results are the reason people still talk about it. In the season after the change Messi was flying again, racking up goals and trophies, and reporting years later noted he had kept pizza and soda out of his diet for more than a decade (UNILAD). The point is not that any single food is magic. It is that a consistent, low-inflammation plate held up across an unusually long career.
The nutrition cornerstones
Poser has described the plan as resting on five everyday foods: water, good-quality olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables, with nuts and seeds added on top (Man of Many). Extra virgin olive oil does a lot of the quiet work here. It is the main source of monounsaturated fat, it carries anti-inflammatory compounds, and it is the one item on the list most worth spending on for quality. Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats replace the refined carbohydrates he cut, giving slow-release energy rather than blood sugar spikes. Fruit and vegetables cover micronutrients and antioxidants, and the nuts and seeds add healthy fat, fiber, and minerals.
Hydration sits underneath all of it. Messi drinks water through the day and famously reaches for yerba mate, the Argentine herbal infusion, rather than fizzy drinks (GiveMeSport). During heavy training blocks some reports describe added protein shakes to hit recovery targets, though Messi himself keeps the specifics quiet. The through line is consistency, not novelty. It is the same clean plate, repeated for years, rather than a rotating cabinet of pills.
The categories that support a regimen like his
Here is the honest part. Messi has not disclosed a branded supplement stack, so everything in this section is our editorial read of the categories that best fit an anti-inflammatory, endurance-heavy approach. None of it is a claim about what he takes. Omega-3 fish oil is the natural complement to a diet built to lower inflammation, and it helps on days short of oily fish. Vitamin D3 addresses a shortfall that is common in athletes and easy to miss. Magnesium supports muscle function, cramp resistance, and sleep, all of which matter when your job is repeated sprinting. An electrolyte mix backs up the hydration habit he clearly prioritizes. Creatine monohydrate is the most researched sports supplement there is, with solid evidence for the short, explosive efforts football demands, though again Messi has never said he uses it.
Treat the list below as a template, not a prescription. Build the food first, the way Messi did, then add only the categories you have a genuine reason to. If you take medication or manage a health condition, check with a doctor before starting anything new, because none of this is medical advice.
A few evidence-based basics that round out the anti-inflammatory, recovery-first way Messi is documented to eat.
The complete list
Frequently asked questions
What supplements does Lionel Messi take?
Messi keeps this private. He has never published a branded supplement stack or said he takes specific pills. What is documented is his diet: since 2014 he has followed an anti-inflammatory plan built with nutritionist Giuliano Poser around water, olive oil, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.
What is Lionel Messi's diet?
It rests on five foods Poser highlights: water, good-quality olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables, plus nuts and seeds. He cut refined sugar and flour, reduced red meat, dropped soda and pizza, and drinks yerba mate instead of fizzy drinks.
Who is Messi's nutritionist and what did he change?
Italian nutritionist Giuliano Poser began working with Messi in 2014. He removed inflammatory triggers, calling sugar the worst thing for the muscles, and rebuilt the plate around whole foods. Messi has kept pizza and soda out of his diet for more than a decade since.
Does Messi take protein powder or creatine?
He has not publicly detailed either. Some reports mention protein shakes during heavy training blocks, but Messi keeps the specifics quiet. The creatine and other categories on this page are our evidence-based editorial picks for a regimen like his, not confirmed choices of his. None of this is medical advice.