Lionel Messi has had a decorated senior club football career that spanned over two decades and included stops with FC Barcelona in Spain's La Liga, Paris Saint-Germain in France's Ligue 1, and now Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. But the Argentina star revealed that his time playing professional club football may soon come to an end.
Messi began his senior club career at FC Barcelona's system in 2003 and remained with the club until 2021. He then spent two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain from 2021 to 2023, scoring 22 goals in 58 games before making the move to the David Beckham-owned Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi believes Inter Miami will be his last football club
Lionel Messi, in an exclusive interview with ESPN Argentina, said that Inter Miami may be his last club before he hangs his boots.
“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],” Messi said.
On the senior club level, Messi won 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and four UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona. He also won two Ligue 1 titles during his entire stay with Paris Saint-Germain.
Argentina's 2022 World Cup win gave Lionel Messi new perspective over football career
Lionel Messi admitted his perspective on his football career changed when he finally won the FIFA World Cup in 2022 with Argentina, saying he was more aware of the limited time he has on the pitch. However, he said that he is enjoying playing more, knowing that his playing days are nearing its conclusion.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
In international play, Messi had 181 caps with Argentina's senior national team and scored 106 goals. He led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title win in Qatar, together with a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Argentina managing Messi's health ahead of 2024 Copa America
The Argentina national team is carefully managing Lionel Messi's fitness ahead of the team's campaign in the 2024 Copa America. Messi has faced some fitness issues on the club level with Inter Miami, which resulted in him missing several games with both his club team and international duty in March.
Lionel Scaloni is limiting the exposure of the 36-year old Messi to avoid unnecessary health risks. In a friendly versus Ecuador, Messi saw limited time on the pitch after coming off the bench in the 56th minute.
“With Leo [Messi], there is no need to risk him,” Scaloni said. “Not just with him, but others like [Nicolas] Otamendi didn't play. Angel only played some minutes, Julian [Alvarez] and Lautaro [Martinez] the same. We want to take care of these players and allow them to arrive in their best possible conditions for the tournament.”
Follow Us
Subscribe