Retirement soon? Messi makes 'last club' announcement

Tom Weber

Updated: 12 Jun 2024 18:16 BST
3 min read

Lionel Messi playing for Inter Miami. — © IMAGO

Lionel Messi has announced that Inter Miami will be his last club.

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The Argentine legend is now firmly in the twilight years of his career. Still a brilliant player, the 36-year-old joined Inter Miami to great fanfare last summer and has had a quite stunning impact on David Beckham's MLS franchise and the league as a whole.

To date, Messi has notched a ridiculous 25 goals and 16 assists in 29 competitive gamers for the Herons and, although the side haven't always been convincing this season, they currently top the Eastern Conference standings.

Messi is fully aware that his career is slowly but surely drawing to a close and already in March, he addressed when he would retire, stating that he would call it a day once he stops being useful to his team.

"I know that the moment I feel that I am no longer able to perform, that I no longer enjoy or help my teammates, I will quit," he said. "I'm very self-critical. I know when I'm good, when I'm bad, when I'm playing well, and when I'm playing badly."

Miami will be Messi's last club

Speaking to ESPN Deportes, Messi has once again spoken about his future and revealed that Inter Miami will be his final club, dashing the hopes of boyhood team Newell's Old Boys in his native Argentina.

Though Messi admitted that he's not yet ready to quit, he did admit that he is a bit afraid of Father Time catching up with him. "I've done this all my life, I enjoy the training sessions, the games. The fear that it's all over is always there."

“Inter Miami will be my last club, yes. As of today, it’s going to be my last one. I love playing football, I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that there is less and less time.”

Read more about: MLS, Lionel Messi