Soccer

Lionel Messi points to the biggest difference between Miami and Barcelona: “I can live peacefully”

The Inter Miami captain reveals what his life is like in Miami, along with his post-career ambitions in soccer.

Lionel Messi points to the biggest difference between Miami and Barcelona: “I can live peacefully”
Francis Mascarenhas
Estados Unidos Update:

Lionel Messi is preparing to return to training with Inter Miami ahead of a massive 2026 for club and country.

Having finally clinched MLS Cup in 2025, the Herons will target the Concacaf Champions Cup this season. Meanwhile the Argentina national team will be hoping to retain the World Cup. For now, however, Messi is enjoying his last few days off and recently spoke with LuzuTV about his life off the field.

Messi revealed that he appreciates the tranquility of living in the United States, where soccer does not dominate daily life as it does in other countries. He explained that this allows him to go out more freely, although he still likes to keep to a routine.

Comparing it to his former life in Barcelona, Messi said: “In the United States, I live a quiet life. In this part of Miami, there are many more Americans, people live differently and don’t place as much importance on soccer. In Barcelona, I went out; people were used to it.“

“I lived there my whole life, always going to the same places; it was normal. I have a very routine life; it’s the same here with the guys. We go to training. It’s not like we can go out that much,” he said.

What will Messi do after Inter Miami?

In the course of a far-ranging conversation, Messi also discussed his plans after retirement. He expressed a desire to own a club and guide it from the ground up, rather than turn his attention to coaching.

Messi said: “I don’t like being a coach, but I like the ownership aspect more. I’d like to have my own club, to be able to grow a club, to start from the bottom, to give the kids the opportunity to grow, to make a big club."

He added that surrounding himself with capable people has helped him prepare for life after football: “I have the people around me who have helped me a lot. I’ve thought about football my whole life, but there comes a time when you have to look beyond that. I like it and I try to learn, but above all, I want to surround myself with capable people.”

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