Leo Messi: On His Future, MLS and FIFA World Cup 2026

Well, here we are. Thanks for your time, as always. Thanks Leo for this interview, for your time. Well, it's been a very important season, right? So far, a very high level. I'm going straight to the big Leo. Can Inter Miami win the MLS playoffs this season? Yes, of course we can, but it's not going to be easy. We had the experience of last year, in which we finished first in the regular league and then in the first game we were not out. I think the playoffs are a separate competition where the games are different, the teams take much more care and we are attentive to all the details because any situation can leave you out. But obviously we are prepared to compete, to fight and to try to win, which is what we all want. As a captain of this team, as a captain, as a figure, it has been a season with many changes. Compared to the previous one, what has been the biggest change this season? Well, I think this year, like the previous one, we grew a lot. It's true that several new players came and left the team. I think the team had a moment where it was able to compete at a high level. It's also true that we were very regular, especially defensively, where we received a lot of goals. And that's something where we're still in debt, in the defensive work, if we really want to compete and be champions of this MLS. And well, I think it was a year, although we didn't consecrate any competition, it was a positive year and we still have the opportunity to do our best by winning the MLS. Messi, goes centrally, fires, goal! Key to the box, Lionel Messi. Messi out wide! Against Joe Messi. Leo, we continue with this topic because individual performance is phenomenal. We've talked about the team, everything is fine so far, but your performance is incredible, always with energy, always with joy. The numbers, at 38 years old, you're still competing at a spectacular level. How do you keep having new motivations to continue at such a high level? Well, I like to compete, I like to play. In the end, it's what I liked as a kid and I enjoy doing it, as I enjoyed it all my life. I still feel the same for the game, for wanting to participate, for wanting to help my team, for wanting to give my best. And whenever I play, I try to win, I'm competitive, I try to transmit that to the group and to always try. As long as I feel good and have the physical capacity to try to keep doing it. We played all the competitions and in all of them, we got to the end, which on the one hand is great, but on the other hand, you have a huge physical and mental wear, with travel, and it's not easy. But I felt good and now there's the last stage. And I also wanted to ask you, in the normal world, when a person does something every day, it becomes routine, it seems a bit boring. You never get bored of scoring goals, right? No, I like it, I like to win, I like to participate in the game, in the goals, in the important things. And well, whenever I play, I try to help and be important in the game. You are and will always be a world reference in football, but also a lot of people wonder, is it possible that there is something in your moment right now, that you need to learn? Can Leo Messi also have something to learn in football right now? Well, I think you always learn, you never stop learning, both in football and in life. I try to get the maximum performance in my body, in my game, of what is possible, and I think it's a way to learn and to keep growing, to keep knowing your limitations and try to get the maximum out of it. I think she talks to herself, but I just saw her all day again and look, I think any striker in the world is always kicking, right? Why not? What goes through your head to do magic like that? Well, those are moments, those are decisions that are very, very fast. At that moment, I don't remember if I saw it or imagined that the defender was going to shoot because it's normal in those situations. And well, then the truth is that I had... You also have to explain that Vaseline, because that is also not understood. Then I think I had a lot of time and the goalkeeper was far away and he shoots a little early because he's halfway through and well, he defends that way. But I already told you, those are situations that are decided at the moment and they happen. The second one, you have to explain it 20 times, also today, again, and this is incredible. There is a moment in this Leo that a normal person cannot understand. How do you do this? A tackle like this, without looking at Luis Suárez and with the right, right? How can this happen? Well, the truth is that I see Luis who is going to run and it is also the knowledge, the years of playing together, of knowing the movements of each other, knowing each other for so many years, having shared games and played together, that I practically know his memory movements and well, I knew that he was running that way and then I tried it. The execution was to try it and I was lucky that it came out and that it ended in a goal. But well, it happens a lot with everything, not only with Luis, but also knowing your teammate and being able to play many times from memory. And we are also going to talk about this, about the connection you have with teammates, with friends, the connection of Leo Messi between these players. This is also incredible, this energy, this connection you have with them. We have seen Luis Suárez before, even Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, of course everyone with Rodri de Pol now too. How is this possible? It seems almost telepathy at some point that you have with them. In the same team, it was years of playing together and I think that makes that we play from memory, we know the movements that each one of them has, how they play, how they think, and well, the fact that we play well off the pitch, I think it helps a lot and makes the growth and performance on the pitch even greater. And about this connection you have with them, we have also seen now, announcing Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, who are going to retire soon, also on a human level, what do you feel at the moment? I imagine it's a bit hard, seeing friends leaving. Yes, it's difficult because you see that the moment is coming and that with what you have done throughout your career, they are leaving you, that at any moment it will be your moment and then because we get along well off the pitch, because we share with their family as well, and that they are a loss of friends both inside and outside, that they will miss and that surely it will be a difficult moment for them too, because leaving them all, it's never easy. And also, the fear of that moment coming, of having to say that up to this point you see them closer when all these things happen around you, so a lot of things happen to your head. Leo, you have just signed a new contract with Inter Miami, another very important moment for your career, what do you feel at this moment to believe again for the future in this project? The truth is that I'm happy that it was an easy decision because we are very well both in the family, in the day-to-day, in the life we lead, as in the club too, enjoying and feeling good physically and having positive results and the truth is that being able to stay here and continue to help the club's growth after everything that was done since I arrived and the other teammates that it was a big change is something very nice so I'm happy the truth is that it was not difficult because we are very happy here so we hope to continue contributing to this growth both inside and outside the field. As we watch Messi and Miami looking for a fourth Suarez, Messi again, Lionel Messi, oh goodnight! I want to feel good to try to add and be important I think it happens a bit being well physically and being sure that I can perform at the highest level. And it will also be a different World Cup because it will be played in North America there will also be matches here in Miami how would it be in case you decide to play it to be in a World Cup with the Argentina shirt to defend the World Cup title in Miami? Well, always play with the special teams the best, more in official competitions and more in a World Cup with all that it means and I think it will be a special World Cup because being in the United States I think that at the organizational level beyond the fact that there are long trips and if you have to go to play Canada or Mexico different matches it will be a very long trip and I think that at the organizational level it will be something extraordinary but well, it would be beautiful to be in another World Cup and defend the World Cup that we were lucky enough to win and to be able to participate in one more We have had a screen full of images with Inter Miami with your goals, the team, a great season here now it is black because of course the playoffs are coming and we do not know what will happen with a little imagination with your experience what do you think we will see here soon on our screen if we are going to put some images in a month or something Well, hopefully we can put the image of the MLS because it would be nice for the club to be able to get it because it would help all this process of growth that it has done in recent years to be able to get an important title for the club it would be spectacular for the whole dressing room, for the personal level to be able to get one more title it would be something extraordinary so hopefully we put an image of that