It looks like Lionel Messi is making his Inter Miami jersey his last, and we’ll be the first to admit he certainly looks good in pink and black. In a recent interview with ESPN Argentina, the soccer star said Inter Miami will be the last team he plays for before he decides to retire.
“Inter Miami will be my last club,” he said. “I love playing football. I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that there is less [left to play].”
At 36 years old — soon to be 37 this month — he’s not ending his professional career just yet. He’s under contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2025 and has scored 12 goals for the team so far this season.
“I’ve done this all of my life; I love playing ball. I enjoy the practices and the day-to-day, the games,” Messi said. “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 [to Miami].”
The record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made the jump to MLS for the first time in his career with Inter Miami in 2023, following two decades in Europe playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. His performance in Inter Miami has marked a major turnaround for the team, even leading them to earn the club’s first-ever trophy in the Leagues Cup final.
Messi told ESPN, “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.”
Prior to South Florida, the undisputed king of football has sparked Argentina victories in the 2022 World Cup, 2021 Copa América and is gearing up for his home country’s Copa América title defence.
With the 2026 World Cup only two years away, it’s unclear if Messi will participate in the tournament, which will be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. He said he has not made the decision yet on whether or not he will play.
“It depends on how I feel, how I am physically and being realistic with myself. And to know if I am up to the task of being able to compete and help the colleagues next to me,” he told InfoBae.
All eyes are on Messi as he takes to the field for the next Inter Miami games of the season. In the meantime, you can still get your soccer dose at The Messi Experience currently open in Coconut Grove. The epic, 20,000-square-foot experience takes you through the legendary player’s life and career.
Click here to get your tickets to The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True.