Lionel Messi gives clues on retirement as Argentine prepares for Inter Miami unveiling

Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has opened up and made it clear that he was, in some ways, counting down his retirement from the national team.

“Logically, due to age, it will be soon, but I don’t know exactly when that moment will be. I simply think about things day to day, and about enjoying all this that we are experiencing,” the Albiceleste number 10 stated during an interview with Sofi Martinez Mateos on the program ‘Llave a la eternidad’ (Key to Eternity).

God will tell Messi when to retire

“I think it will happen when it has to happen,” he continued. “After having achieved everything in recent times, the only thing left is to enjoy it and, as I’ve always said, God will say when that moment will be.”

Messi will be presented this Sunday at the Lockhart stadium in Florida as a new player with Inter Miami of the MLS, where he will meet again with his compatriot coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino who led him in Barcelona (2013-14) and in the national team between 2014 and 2016.

Interestingly, Leo remarked that if he had not won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, he would have left the national team, pointing to the stress that it caused both him and his family.

“If I wasn’t world champion, I wouldn’t be here anymore. The national team for me is the best and there were very bad times for me,” he admitted. “When I was at my peak in Barcelona - where I won Champions Leagues, Spanish leagues, individual awards - I then had to go with the national team, and I suffered a lot and my family also suffered.”

Messi and the defeat against Saudi Arabia in Qatar 2022

Messi could not ignore Argentina’s 2-1 shock opening group stage loss to Saudi Arabia.

“We came from 35 or 36 games without losing, and we didn’t know how we could react to a difficult moment, because, luckily, we hadn’t had it until then,” he said.

“There were a lot of guys who were playing their first World Cup and the game against Saudi Arabia was very difficult because of that. Whether you like it or not, anxiety or nerves appear because of what it means, but this group showed that they didn’t care about anything and that they were very strong.”

Inter Miami: the new challenge for Messi

Finally, he touched on the subject of his next debut, which everything indicates will be against the Mexican club Cruz Azul in a duel in the Leagues Cup, on July 21.

“We are happy with the decision we made and eager to face the new challenge,” Messi said. “My mentality and my head are not going to change and I am going to try, wherever I have to be, to give my best for myself and for the club, to continue performing at the highest level.”