13th June, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Argentina legend Lionel Messi has revealed that Inter Miami will be his last club, even though he is not ready to retire.
The Barcelona FC star revealed this during an interview with ESPN.
“Inter Miami will be my last club,” Messi said. “I love playing football. I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that there is less [left to play].”
“I’m still having fun,” Messi also explained at another point of the interview. “At the club [Inter Miami] I am lucky to have teammates and friends by my side. Also in the national team.
“I enjoy the little details knowing that, when I don’t play anymore, I’m going to miss it.”
That being said, Messi stated emphatically: “But I’m not ready to retire.”
Messi could have rejoined his boyhood club Barca last summer after nearing free agency at Paris Saint-Germain.
In the end, however, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner didn’t want to wait for the Catalans to get their Financial Fair Play issues in order and decided to make a bold move by joining Inter Miami in the United States.
“It was very difficult to leave Europe to come here,” Messi said regarding the switch.
“The fact that I was world champion helped a lot to start seeing things differently. Now I enjoy it much more because I am aware that I am getting closer and closer to retirement.”
Messi’s Inter Miami contract expires at the end of 2025, but it is unclear whether he plans to extend his terms while he has also not ruled out possibly helping Argentina defend its Qatar 2022 title at the next World Cup in 2026.