Messi plans to retire

Lionel Messi expressed his feelings following the retirement announcements of his Inter Miami teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, while also giving some insight into his own retirement plans coming soon.

Amid the intense atmosphere of the MLS Cup play-offs, Lionel Messi had a special interview with Fabrizio Romano. During this conversation, the Argentine superstar opened up about the emotions stirred by his Inter Miami teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets preparing to retire, and also hinted at his own future.

Busquets was the first to announce in September that he would retire after this season, and in early October, Alba made the same decision. Messi admitted that it is tough to see teammates who have been with him throughout his career say goodbye to the pitch, as it makes him realize that his own time will come too.

“Honestly, it’s hard to watch them retire. Because at that moment you understand you have dedicated your whole life to football, the people around you gradually leave, and then you realize that your day is not far off,” the Inter Miami captain confided.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also spoke about the special bond he will lose: “We have always been in sync both on and off the field, sharing many things together, even with our families. So, this is not just about saying goodbye to teammates, but losing very close friends,” Messi added.

Saying farewell to longtime teammates is not easy for Messi, as they are the ones who have stood by him the most throughout his career. According to data from Transfermarkt, Busquets has played the most matches alongside Messi with 646 appearances, while Alba ranks fourth with 416 games. The other three in the top five are Gerard Pique (506 matches), Andrés Iniesta (489 matches), and Javier Mascherano (414 matches), who is currently Messi’s coach at Inter Miami.

Although Messi has only been with Inter Miami for two years, he has already helped the club win the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield. Currently, their biggest goal is to win the MLS Cup, which will also be the final stage of Busquets and Alba’s careers.

“Hopefully, we can win the MLS Cup, because that would be amazing for the club,” Messi told Romano. “That trophy would close the chapter of growth the team has experienced in recent years. For the group, it would be a huge step forward, and for me personally, winning a title here would be truly special.”

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