Lionel Messi’s journey on the FIFA Membership World Cup 2025 has come to an finish after Inter Miami have been handed a 4-0 thumping by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) within the match’s final 16.
Following their loss to the European champions on Sunday, Inter Miami now carry their consideration again to Major League Soccer (MLS), the place their marketing campaign within the Jap Convention was placed on maintain through the Membership World Cup in the USA.
Messi will proceed to steer in his third yr at Miami, however questions stay over his future plans with membership and nation.
What did Messi say after Miami’s loss to PSG?
Whereas Messi failed to attain within the sport dominated by PSG, he had one header saved by the opposition goalkeeper and a free kick that hit the goalpost.
Regardless of his frustration, Messi praised PSG by saying the end result was “anticipated”.
“The match was what was anticipated,” he instructed Latin American sports activities channel DSports.
“They’re a fantastic crew, winners of the final Champions League, and so they’re in actually good condition. It was the match we anticipated. We tried to do our greatest, and I feel we left impression on the Membership World Cup.”
When is Messi’s subsequent match for Inter Miami?
Miami entered the Membership World Cup on the premise of their top-placed end within the Jap Convention in 2024 and can resume their league motion with a visit to Montreal on Sunday.
It’s unclear whether or not Messi will begin the sport or can be rested by coach Javier Mascherano after his Argentinian compatriot began and completed all of Miami’s video games on the match.
Will Messi keep at Inter Miami after 2025?
The membership captain’s contract at Miami runs out on the finish of 2025, and whereas he has not dedicated his future brazenly to the US crew, Miami’s house owners are hopeful of extending Messi’s keep.
Jorge Mas, the membership’s co-owner, together with brother Jose and former footballer David Beckham, has expressed optimism over Messi’s future.
“My dream could be for the quantity 10 [Messi] to inaugurate our new stadium in March [2026],” Jorge instructed ESPN.
Nonetheless, he was fast to relinquish management of the scenario by saying the choice “rests on Messi”.
“We want for Messi to complete his profession right here. I stated just a few months in the past that we must always have information in the summertime about that, however hopefully will probably be as quickly as doable. We’re simply ready to have the ability to give the followers the excellent news about Lionel Messi.”
How a lot does Messi earn at Inter Miami?
Messi is, by far, the best-paid footballer within the MLS.
Arguably the best ever quantity 10 in soccer, the ahead is ready to earn $20.4m in assured compensation in 2025, with a base wage of $12m.
Will Messi return to Barcelona?
The Argentinian joined the Catalan membership as an academy signee on the age of 13 and left it in tears as one among its best ever gamers in 2021.
Following his transfer to the US in 2023, Messi opened up about his emotional bond with Barcelona, saying he couldn’t be a part of one other European membership.
“After the World Cup, I couldn’t see myself in one other European crew that wasn’t Barca,” Messi stated earlier this yr. “My objective was to come back again to my house, the place all the things began. Sadly, that wasn’t doable.”
Nonetheless, with Barcelona anticipated to settle the ultimate $7m instalment of their monetary debt owed to Messi on Monday, stories say the membership might attempt to lure him again to the place Messi as soon as referred to as “house”.
Barcelona are ready for Messi to see out his contract at Miami earlier than bringing him again after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in keeping with Argentinian soccer journalist Maximiliano Grillo.
Neither the membership nor Messi’s representatives have commented on the doable fairytale return.
Will Messi play within the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The 38-year-old led Argentina to their third and his first FIFA World Cup crown in Qatar in 2022.
Whereas the South American giants have qualified for the subsequent version – co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the US – Messi has neither dedicated nor minimize ties with La Albiceleste within the run-up to the match.
He was a part of the squad as they started the qualification course of, however accidents saved the soccer nice out of motion in the previous couple of matches.
Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni believes there’s “loads of time” to take a name on Messi’s future in worldwide soccer.
“We should go one sport at a time, in any other case [we] can be talking about the identical factor the remainder of the yr, and we have to depart him alone. We are going to see,” Scaloni stated of Messi’s future in March.
“He’ll resolve it every time he desires. Let’s not drive him loopy with this.”
Messi’s teammates, although, have been very clear about their needs.
“With Messi, we’d have scored two or three extra targets,” Julian Alvarez stated after Argentina’s 4-1 win over Brazil within the qualifiers.
In the meantime, Rodrigo de Paul echoed Messi’s Argentinian and world followers’ sentiments when he stated: “One of the best of our groups is at all times when the quantity 10 is enjoying as a result of he’s the best of all time.”
Will Messi observe Ronaldo to Saudi Professional League?
Messi’s identify was first linked to the Saudi Professional League when his determination to depart PSG surfaced in early 2023, however the news was swiftly quashed as he signed a take care of Miami.
Now, with the participant nearing the tip of one other contract, the hearsay mill has resurfaced.
Nonetheless, given the Messi household’s settled life-style within the Sunshine State, his proximity to Argentina and his nation’s upcoming title defence at a FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the US, Saudi Arabia looks as if a distant vacation spot for the good who’s inching nearer to his retirement.
Is Messi going to retire?
After Inter Miami’s crushing 4-0 loss to PSG on Sunday and exit from the match, Messi didn’t announce a timeline for retirement, both with Inter Miami or Argentina.
Messi did trace earlier within the Membership World Cup, that his time on the worldwide stage could also be coming to an finish.
“I’m acutely aware that I’m enjoying my ultimate matches and I’m having fun with them to the utmost,” Messi stated after Miami’s group match victory towards Porto on June 19. “I’m positive that you just’re watching my ultimate moments in soccer’s elite.”