Lionel Messi has announced that Inter Miami will be his “last club,” acknowledging that his career is nearing its end. The 36-year-old joined Inter Miami last summer after a 20-year career in Europe, playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has scored 14 goals in all competitions and has helped the team reach the top of the Eastern Conference. He has been reunited with former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba at the club.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN Argentina, Messi expressed his belief that Inter Miami will be his final club. He is Barcelona’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals and achieved 32 goals and 35 assists during his two seasons at PSG.
Messi’s illustrious career includes winning 40 trophies for club and country, including four Champions League titles and a Copa América. The highlight of his career was winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, which he says gave him a new perspective on his career.
“I’ve done this all of my life; I love playing ball. I enjoy the practices and the day-to-day, the games. Yeah, there’s a bit of fear that it’s all ending. It’s always there. It was a difficult step leaving Europe to come here [Miami],” he said.
“The fact we won the World Cup helped, it helped a lot, to see things in another way. But I try not to think about it. I try to enjoy it. I do that more now because I’m aware that there’s not a lot of time left. So I have a good time with the club, being lucky having good teammates and friends at my side.”
“I enjoy my time with the national team, where I also have good friends, too, and a lot. I enjoy those small details that I know I’ll miss when I stop playing.”
While injuries saw Messi miss Argentina’s games against El Salvador and Costa Rica in March, he remains integral to the team’s chances of retaining the Copa América later this summer and marked his return to the international stage in Argentina’s win over Ecuador on Sunday.
“Argentina is always a favorite and a contender, at Copa America as well as in World Cups,” Messi said. “We’re more of a favorite now because of where we’re coming from, having won the last Copa America, the Finalissima and the World Cup — and because of the group of players we have.
“I’ve been training for a few days and what never fails to surprise me is how they practice, the guys’ attitude, the desire to win, the hunger to keep winning. It’s going to be a difficult Copa America, very balanced as it’s always been, but we have a good chance to again be among the best.”
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