When Lionel Messi decides to play his final professional match, it will come as an Inter Miami player.
Messi, who is currently on international duty with Argentina, revealed the news in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday. The 36-year-old made the monumental move to MLS last summer and helped the Herons lift the Leagues Cup for the first trophy in club history.
Messi’s arrival has led to fellow European stars Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba joining him in Florida over the past year as well.
Although his contract runs through 2025, Messi didn’t reveal an exact date for his retirement from professional soccer.
“Inter Miami will be the last club in my career,” Messi said. “I am not prepared to leave soccer. I enjoy playing ball. There is fear that everything ends, leaving Europe was a difficult step.
“I am aware that there’s less time left,” Messi added. “But I don’t think about it. I just enjoy.”
An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and recent FIFA World Cup champion in 2022, Messi has become one of the best players to ever grace the sport. He’s lifted over 40 combined trophies for club and country, starring for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain before his move to North America last year.
Messi could add to that total this summer if Argentina lifts its 16th Copa America title, while also having opportunities with Inter Miami later this year in MLS and Leagues Cup play. 19 years after making his debut, Messi heads into the final stretch of his career, knowing he’s certainly left his mark in every stop along the way.
