Lionel Messi risks upsetting Inter Miami fans with admission after MLS transfer
Inter Miami is the next stop of Lionel Messi’s illustrious career, but it comes after achieving everything that there is to accomplish in the game for club and country
Lionel Messi has admitted to having “achieved everything in football” and added that “there’s nothing left” despite just signing for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
Messi, 35, is moving to MLS this summer after two seasons spent at Paris Saint-Germain, where the Argentina international added two Ligue 1 titles but did not come close to claiming a fifth Champions League winners medal. Those French leagues add to the ten La Liga trophies Messi lifted across 17 seasons after coming through at Barcelona.
He also won seven Copa del Reys and a trio of Club World Cups while playing in the Catalan capital. It is internationally, though, that most of the recent success has come. Messi captained Argentina to a Copa America crown in 2021 before lifting the World Cup late last year. That is considered the final trophy his collection was missing.
The player himself seems to agree too. In an interview with beIN SPORTS , which will be released this week according to RMC Sport, Messi said he has “achieved everything in football. There’s nothing left.” Those comments likely won’t be received well in Miami, where he will be expected to fight for trophies on multiple fronts.
Messi also spoke about the importance of the World Cup triumph compared to individual honours. “Does the Ballon d’Or matter to me? No, it’s no longer important to me,” he explained. “I’ve always said; the individual prizes are not what matters to me.
“The collective ones are the most important. The most important prize at the moment is the World Cup, the greatest prize for me [2022] was my last World Cup. I will see how things go, but in principle, no, I will not go to the next World Cup.”
Having never previously played outside of Europe, moving to the United States, in theory, opens up the possibility of several new trophies to add to that cabinet. While Inter Miami are currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Messi’s arrival should start to turn their fortunes around.
MLS Cup is the main prize on offer Stateside, with the winner considered the league’s outright champion at the end of their playoffs. Following the regular season, the Supporters Shield is handed out to the team with the best record before the postseason starts.
The US Open Cup is the North American equivalent of the FA Cup. It is their oldest knockout tournament, with over 100 years of history.
Continentally, there is the CONCACAF Champions League. However, it is routinely dominated by Mexican sides, with only one American winner in its short history.
The relatively new League Cup that pits every team from the US and Mexico against each other is another up for grabs. It is also the competition that Messi is due to debut in during July and is another that only teams from south of the border have tasted success in.
Further reinforcing their roster should give Inter Miami a shot of contending for silverware. Maybe then Messi will find other accomplishments left to achieve in the game.
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