Argentina is looking to defend their Copa America starting on June 21st against Canada in the beautiful Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta, USA. Lionel Messi is eyeing adding another international trophy to his cabinet after clinching the FIFA World Cup in Qatar a couple of years ago.
So the question is: What will be Lionel Messi’s future and retirement plans after the Summer Carnival in the USA? What about his club football, and will he continue to play in blue & white and go again in 2026 to defend his World Cup?
Will Inter Miami be His Last Club?
After not being able to go back to the club he wanted, where he won the Champions League four times, won 10 La Liga titles, and made some historic records for FC Barcelona, Messi then also left the French club Paris Saint-Germain and found solace in Inter Miami, where he immediately made his impact and contributed to the team’s historic first trophy victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup, which allowed them to go on to the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final and play in the first-ever final held at the club’s DRV PNK Stadium.
Inter Miami has now established itself as the third-most valuable team in Major League Soccer. Messi, who has been on the list of top richest footballers for so long, could become a co-owner of Inter Miami with David Beckham, according to The Sun.
He has also emerged as the top performer in the current season with Inter Miami. Messi have played 15 matches with American club in 2024 and he managed to score 14 goals and 11 assists in just 15 games. His contribution allowed Inter Miami to Lead the Eastern Conference with two points above FC Cincinnati.
He is also enjoying his time playing football with his friends from his old club. He mentioned, “I have a good time at the club, I am lucky enough to have teammates and friends by my side.”. “I had a good time in the national team, where I have teammates and friends too.”
Leo Messi recently confirmed that Inter Miami will be his last club. He Told ESPN that he will finish his career in United States.
Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi said. “I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
Will He Retire After Copa America 2024?
Messi has won everything a football player can dream of. He is the player with the most number of ballons d’or, eight, which is three more than his archrival Cristiano Ronaldo. So, what next for him? What are Lionel Messi’s future and retirement plans? There is so much speculation coming from different sources about his future and retirement plans, as well as his participation in the next FIFA World Cup in 2026. But what we can say is that this is still undecided till now: whether he will hang his boots for the national team after his summer or will he try to lead them again to glory?
A few days ago, the albiceleste captain had declared in an interview with Infobae : “What does my presence in the World Cup depend on? How I feel, how I am physically and being realistic with myself. And knowing if I am up to the task of being able to compete and help the teammates next to me. Know how I am physically. There is still some time left and I don’t know how I will be at that time.
In his recent interview, Leo has talked about his plans for club football, but what about the national team? He also said this in his recent interview with ESPN Argentina.
“As long as I feel physically fit and able to perform at my best, and continue to help the National Team, I would like to continue being part of it.
“I never gave importance to records. I wouldn’t play in a World Cup just to say that I was in six World Cups.”
The great player admits that he now has nothing to prove at any level and nothing left to win.
“I won every club trophy with Barcelona, I have won every individual trophy, I finally have won the Copa America and now I won the World Cup. I have achieved everything you can achieve in football.’
Messi on his career via ESPN Argentina
Messi’s Future Uncertainty
So, we have to wait for the final decision on whether he will play in the next World Cup or not. As Messi draws nearer to retirement, his reflection shows a fragile side to the world-famous player. He said, “The fear that everything is going to be over, it’s always there,” revealing a weakness that many sportsmen reaching the end of their careers can relate to. His remarks emphasized the psychological and emotional obstacles that even the best athletes had to face.
