Lionel Messi Opens up on Retirement Plans, Says ‘I Think Inter Miami is Going to be my Last Club’

New Delhi: Argentina’s iconic forward Lionel Messi stated that Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Inter Miami could likely turn out to be the last club of his illustrious career.

The record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is nearing the sunset of his remarkable career. But before he decides to hang up his boots for one last time, he will have an opportunity to lift another Copa America title with Argentina.

As he continues to thrive at the international and club level, Messi addressed his future and admitted that he is not prepared to leave football.

“I’m not prepared to leave football, I did this all my life, I enjoy the training, the games. The fear that everything’s is going to be over, it’s always there. I think Inter Miami is going to be my last club,” Messi told ESPN Argentina as quoted from Goal.com.

His compatriot Julian Alvarez previously addressed the potential future of the talismanic forward and the speculations about Messi being a part of Argentina’s plans for the future.

“Let’s hope so. He’s going to decide until when, but we want him to be there, it’s better,” Alvarez told ESPN.

Messi has earned 180 caps for Argentina and has scored 106 goals in the international circuit. He is the third-highest goal-scorer in the international stage with only Ali Daei and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of him in the scoring chart.

For Inter Miami he has 13 goals and 11 assists in 18 matches in the MLS. Earlier this year, he was crowned as the Best FIFA Men’s 2023 player after beating Erling Halaand and Kylian Mbappe to secure the top spot for the third time in his illustrious career.

He became the first player to ever win the award while playing in the MLS.

All the top three players, Messi, Mbappe, and Halaand did not attend the ceremony in London. The 36-year-old stayed in Miami for their first preseason game of the 2024 campaign.