Lionel Messi says Inter Miami will be the last club he plays for before deciding to hang up his boots.
Although Messi, 36, is not yet ready to talk career, he said he realizes his time in the sport is numbered. “Inter Miami will be my last club. I like to play football. I appreciate everything much more because I am aware that there is less to play for,” he said in an interview with ESPN.
Messi, who has a contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2025, joined MLS last year after 20 years in Europe playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life; I love playing ball. I enjoy training and everyday life, the matches. We are a little afraid that everything will stop. It’s still there. Leaving Europe to come here was a difficult step,” he explains.
The Argentine star has scored 12 goals for Inter Miami so far this season, while leading them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. He also sparked a major turnaround for the franchise almost immediately last season and led them to a League Cup victory in what was the club’s first major trophy.
Miami will face the Philadelphia Union next Saturday. The club will open the League Cup on July 27 against Puebla.
It is still unclear whether Messi will participate in the 2026 World Cup in North America. “La Pulga” who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022, will play with Argentina at the Copa América this summer. Argentina will begin group play against Canada on June 20. Whether he plays in 2026, Messi said, will largely depend on his health.
