(VIDEO) The most painful news that Messi gave to FC Barcelona fans, what he just said about his retirement

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest football players of all time, and many fans dread the day when he officially retires from professional football. The Argentine star is 36 years old and will turn 37 on June 24th. He has a contract with Inter Miami until December 2025, and many hope he continues to play after that, with FC Barcelona fans dreaming that he returns after his time in the MLS comes to an end. Sadly, for them and the Catalan club, that will not be possible, as he confirmed in an interview with ESPN. Messi said, “Inter Miami will be my last club [I play for].” Messi spoke about wanting to continue playing for as long as he can, but now, with this comment, some are afraid that his last year as a professional football player will be next year, a year before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and in Canada.

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Despite everyone’s fear of seeing Messi close to hanging up his boots, the Inter Miami star says that he will not give up playing until he can’t do it at a high level anymore. Messi said, “I am not ready to leave football. I enjoy training and matches, but I admit that the fear that everything will end is always there. I love playing football, I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that every time there’s less and less.”

Messi also revealed that the World Cup win was a huge factor in picking to play at Inter Miami in the MLS right after PSG. Messi said, “Winning the World Cup in Qatar was one of the reasons I decided to leave the high European competition and go to the American League [MLS].”

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The AFA fear of losing Lionel Messi as well

The Copa America could be Messi’s last international tournament with Argentina, even though the World Cup is two years away. The AFA president, Claudio Tapia, knows that Messi will soon retire and wants to enjoy the last games of the star with the national team. Tapia said, “Leo Messi must be enjoyed every day. We will be able to enjoy it in the Copa America, and then we will continue to watch him. These are decisions he must make. He enjoys football.”