With Barcelona, the record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner rose to legendary status as he helped the team win 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League championships.
Lionel Messi says he expects Inter Miami to be the team with which he ends his playing career, although he does not plan on leaving immediately.
Messi, who signed a contract with the MLS team that runs until the conclusion of the 2025 season, spoke with ESPN in an interview that aired on Wednesday.
“Yes, as of today, I think it’s going to be my last club,” Messi told ESPN.
However, Messi—who will turn 37 on June 24—added, “I’m not ready to give up on football either.”
With Barcelona, the record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner rose to legendary status as he helped the team win 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League championships.
Messi, who led Argentina to triumphs in the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup, will represent his country in this month’s Copa America, which will take place in the US.
The Argentine played for Barcelona from 2004 to 2021, Paris Saint-Germain from 2021 to 2023, and Inter Miami last year. During his early years with the team, Messi helped the team win the Leagues Cup.
“It was a difficult step to leave Europe to come here,” Messi said.
“The fact of having been world champion helped a lot to see things differently also.”
Since Messi became a household name, MLS has become more well-known in the US. His jersey is the most sought-after among fans of the league, and his games consistently sell out anywhere he plays.
Now that the USA, along with Mexico and Canada, will be co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, Messi is thinking about representing his country and the end of his amazing career.
“My whole life I did this. I love playing ball. I enjoy the training, the day every day, of the matches. A little afraid that everything will end,” Messi said.
“I try to enjoy. That’s why I enjoy everything much more because I’m aware that there’s less and less to go and I have a good time at the club.
“How lucky I am to have colleagues and friends by my side. I had a good time in the selection, where I have teammates and friends too, and many of them, and I enjoy the little details that I know I’m going to miss when I don’t play anymore.”
