Lionel Messi spoke with journalist Fabrizio Romano for 433 and shared his thoughts on Major League Soccer, his team Inter Miami, the Argentina national team, and more.
Reflecting on his decision to join Inter Miami and the MLS, Messi explained:
“At that time, the club was just starting, and I think I was also considering many things to make it happen. The idea of helping in this growth intrigued me, and I’m happy.”
Leo admitted he was struck by the high level of passion for soccer in the United States, something he hadn’t anticipated:
“There is a lot of passion, and this is something I was a little ignorant of, because I knew about passion in basketball, baseball, and American football, but football was a little less.”
“I was very surprised. It is a very competitive league, where playing away from home is difficult for all teams, because each team becomes strong in their own stadium.”
“Going anywhere in the United States and seeing stadiums full of loyal fans is amazing. I was surprised because I didn’t know that, and I enjoy and love what I’m living.”
“They are focusing a lot on talent for the future. Honestly, it’s a great opportunity for young players and also a great moment for the league to flourish and help develop the MLS and young players.”
He acknowledged that his playing style had evolved with time and experience, and joining MLS required its own adjustments:
“I started to change it a little bit also because of time and because of my age, and to adapt to everything, I no longer invent a new style, but I also adapt to the league, which was new to me, and I felt very comfortable from the beginning.”
Reflecting on his achievements with Inter Miami, the Argentine appreciated how memorable his first season in the league had been:
“It was all amazing, wasn’t it? Because to reach a top position for the club, you need to win titles and be a strong competitor.”
“The club came from a bad year in the league, and shortly after I arrived, we won the Leagues Cup, the first title for the club, which is something special for everyone. Now, we have a great desire and enthusiasm to face these knockout stages.”
“We have the enthusiasm and the strong determination to go through these knockout stages and win the MLS and lift another title, on a personal level and also for the club that made a great effort to achieve this.”
Messi mentioned Inter Miami’s ambition, which he saw as essential to the club’s philosophy:
“The club does not set limits to its ambitions, because this is its philosophy, the desire to always achieve more and this has been shown through everything they have achieved so far. Continuing to grow to become bigger in the MLS, and why not on a global level.”
When it came to activities outside football, Messi explained that he enjoyed several sports but had a clear favorite:
“I love padel, tennis, basketball, but the thing I love most is padel.”
Despite celebrating the Supporters’ Shield along the way, Messi clarified that his primary focus remained on winning the MLS title:
“We were happy and celebrated this achievement because it was difficult and important, but we realize that the real title we want is the MLS. We will fight for it, and be ready for the knockout stages.”
When asked about his pre-match routine, Messi revealed his simple way of relaxing before games:
“Listening to music in the locker room and drinking mate with my teammates.”
When asked about his food preferences, Messi shared the following:
“I love ice cream, the truth is that I don’t like food that much, I like desserts.”
Reflecting on interactions with fans, Messi described some memorable and passionate moments he experienced:
“There are a lot of things with people, people sometimes do crazy, unbelievable things. I come from Argentina, where people are very passionate and expressive, willing to do anything to shake hands, to take a picture, to be close.”
When asked about his involvement in the 2026 World Cup, Messi remained undecided and noted that the future was still uncertain:
“I don’t know, honestly, I’ve been asked this question many times, especially in Argentina. I hope to end this year well, and start next year with good preparations, which I wasn’t able to do last year because of all the trips we made. After that, I will see how I feel. I know that we are close, but at the same time, there is a lot of time, and in football many things happen. So, I do not think about it, I live day by day without thinking about the future.”
Considering the next steps in his career, Messi admitted he isn’t sure about taking on a coaching role in the future:
“I honestly don’t know. I think I don’t want to be a coach, but I don’t really know what I could do.”
“I appreciate everything in my daily life more than I did before, so I only think about playing, training and enjoying.”
When asked about how he wants to be remembered, Messi stated the following:
“I don’t know, let people remember me the way they want. I’m very grateful for my career, and for being able to achieve everything I’ve achieved thanks to God. My biggest dream was to win the World Cup, which I fought for a long time and which required a lot of effort. I was lucky to win everything with Barcelona, with the national team, and to have a wonderful life and family, so I’m very grateful to God for everything I’ve been through, and I leave it to people to remember me the way they want.”
“I leave it to people to remember me as they wish. I am grateful for my career, for achieving my biggest dream of winning the World Cup, for my life and my wonderful family. Thank God for everything I have been through.”
(Quotes translated by @WeAreMessi on X)
