Lionel Messi is hardly ever to be found on the big stage anymore; at the advanced footballing age of 37, he is known to play for Inter Miami. But for how much longer? “La Pulga” has now spoken about the end of his career
To put it bluntly. Messi is not thinking about quitting, at least not at the moment. “I’m very self-critical, I know when I’m playing well and when I’m playing badly,” said Lionel Messi on the “Big Time” podcast on Arabic TV channel mbc, also revealing when he wants to end his career. “The moment I realize that I can no longer perform, no longer enjoy the game and can no longer help my teammates, I will stop.” Messi fans can breathe easy, however, because the Argentine (180 caps, 106 goals) still feels fit. “When I feel good, I want to compete because it’s what I love and what I can do.”
However, the day will come when the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will hang up his boots. He is not afraid of that. “When I get the feeling that it’s time to take that step, I’ll do it – without thinking about my age. “
At the moment, Messi is not thinking about the time after that, as he admits. “I haven’t thought about what I’ll do after I retire,” said the world champion: “I want to enjoy every day, every moment, without thinking about life after soccer.”
The Argentine superstar had his greatest time at FC Barcelona, with whom he celebrated incredible success from 2004 to 2021 and where he matured into one of the best footballers of all time. After a stopover at Paris St. Germain, “La Pulga” moved to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami in 2023. His masterpiece came in 2022, when he led the Albiceleste to the title at the World Cup in Qatar.
