Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez has disclosed that Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi helped him become a better player today.

Martinez said that he learned leadership from Messi, who led Argentina to glory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The Argentina international spoke after leading Inter Milan to beat AC Milan 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final second-leg tie on Tuesday at San Siro.

The 25-year-old, who captained Simone Inzaghi’s side, scored the winner for Inter Milan as they beat arch-rivals AC Milan 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final to qualify for the final on a 3-0 aggregate win, having won the first leg 2-0.

“This season I have grown so much mentally,” Martinez said (h/t @AlbicelesteTalk on Twitter) after the game.

“I have teammates who help me grow, I learned a lot from Leo Messi, talking to him, he helped me in everything. Carrying that World Cup in your arms is special, I learned a lot about the leadership from him there.

“Being a captain is special, today’s evening will remain for a lifetime for me.”