Messi retirement: Will he play for Inter Miami again?

After two decades of tears and glory, has Lionel Messi finally decided to bring his illustrious career to a close? The Argentine sent shockwaves on Monday when he announced his retirement to his 516 million Instagram followers.

“It was a decision that hurt and hurts in the soul but I understand it’s time,” Messi wrote in an emotional letter to his fans. But along with the sorrow came doubts about whether the 39-year-old will ever play football again.

Messi has been away from European football since 2023 when he decided to join Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain. The forward has been a key addition to the squad which helped the side win the Major League Soccer Cup in 2025. But with the latest announcement, will the fans ever see Messi in club football again?

The answer is yes, since Messi has only retired from international football. The 8-time Ballon d’Or winner may never play for Argentina again, but, when it comes to leading Inter Miami, the fans could see him in the pink jersey this Sunday against Atlanta United.

Strong performance

While many predicted an international retirement after watching a teary-eyed Messi in the FIFA World Cup final, the news came hours after Inter Miami’s 7-1 win against Montreal on Sunday. The Argentine scored four goals and an assist against the Canadian side. For him to announce the decision after a strong performance was unexpected.

Evidently, the news was welcomed with heartfelt responses from his former teammates. Angel Di Maria, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo De Paul were some of the names who shared their thoughts in the comments section. Jose Mourinho, who has been a big rival to Messi, added how the next editions of Copa America and World Cup won’t feel the same.

The Real Madrid coach isn’t entirely wrong. The Argentine striker has been competing in the finals of the last two editions of the respective tournaments. While he managed to win the back-to-back Copa Americas, Argentina struggled to retain the World Cup this year.

Messi retires as Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 125 goals. He is 73 goals away from scoring 1,000 professional goals. As he has confirmed his decision to hang up his international boots, the legendary forward can now only reach the 4-figure mark by scoring goals for Inter Miami.