Lionel Messi has revealed when he will retire from football, given that he is at the twilight of a glittering career, which has spanned nearly 2 decades.
Messi, who is in the dying embers of his playing career, currently plays for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, and in a recent podcast, he gave fans a pointer into when he will likely retire from football.
Speaking on the Big Time Podcast, Lionel Messi indicated that he would retire when he can no longer perform at his best or derive enjoyment from playing the sport.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner noted that he is very critical of himself, and he will hang up his boots when he is no longer helping his teammates.
When will Lionel Messi retire from football?
Messi said: “I am very self-critical of myself, I know when I’m good, when I’m bad when I play well, and when I play badly. When I feel it’s time to take that step, I will take it without thinking about age.
“I know that moment I feel I am no longer ready to perform, that I am no longer enjoying myself or helping my teammates.”
Messi moved to America in the summer of 2023, joining Inter Miami on a free transfer, after exiting Paris Saint Germain at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Lionel Messi has scored 16 goals and provided 7 assists in 19 appearances across all competitions since he moved to the Miami-based club.
The 36-year-old has won nearly every important trophy available to him in his career, but he is not set to leave the world of football.
He led Argentina to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, helping Le Albiceleste defeat France in the final on penalties.
The Argentines had battled to a 3-3 draw with Les Blues in the normal time and extra time, and they needed the shootout to settle the affair.
Argentina came out victorious 4-2 on penalties and there were jubilant scenes across the globe by Argentines and supporters of Lionel Messi.
They depicted him clinching the World Cup crown, as “completing football”, as the title eluded the former Barcelona star for several years.
Messi came close to winning the title in 2014, but a goal from Germany’s Mario Gotze in extra time pierced the hearts of Argentine supporters.
Lionel Messi had to wait nearly a decade before achieving a career-long dream for many footballers.
Has Cristiano Ronaldo revealed when he will retire?
Meanwhile, Messi’s long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo, has also not shared when he will be retiring, however, he expressed in January 2024 that “it will be soon”.
The former Manchester United man joked that soon could be in 10 years, but he actually doesn’t know.
Anyway, Lionel Messi has scored 726 goals and provided 346 assists in 894 club appearances in all competitions.
Internationally, Messi has netted 106 goals and provided 56 assists in 180 appearances across all competitions.
He has won several trophies in his career, including; 12 League titles – 10 La Liga, 2 Ligue 1, 4 UEFA Champions League, and 1 FIFA World Cup.
Away from Lionel Messi and when will leave the round leather game, the attacker also shared that he never imagined departing Barcelona at any point in his career.
Messi said he was unprepared when he left for Paris Saint Germain and he had to “rebuild” his life in a new territory.
The 36-year-old said: “The change was difficult when I went to PSG because I was doing very well in Barcelona and I planned to stay there.
“I was not prepared to leave, everything happened very quickly, and I had to rebuild my life from one day to the next. I got to know another league, another club, a new locker room.”
Lionel Messi left Camp Nou in the summer of 2021, joining Paris Saint Germain on a free transfer, due to Barcelona’s inability to tie him to a new deal, because of the club’s financial turmoil.
The 36-year-old had a wishy-washy stint in France, with fans booing him in several matches, as they felt he wasn’t delivering as expected.
Messi made 75 appearances for the Parisians, scoring 32 goals and providing 35 assists in all competitions.
