Lionel Messi already planning his next move after Inter Miami as World Cup winner hints at transfer
Lionel Messi has hinted where his next destination lies when his spell at Inter Miami comes to a close.
The World Cup-winning Argentina maestro is enjoying life in Major League Soccer having made a scintillating start at the Florida club.
Messi has netted 11 goals in 11 league and cup games for Miami and helped lead the club to their first-ever piece of silverware when they lifted the Leagues Cup last month.
However, despite only joining the club in July, it appears Messi is already plotting his next move, which could be his final chapter in football.
In an interview with Argentine media outlet Olga, the 36-year-old revealed an urge to play in his home country before he hangs up his boots.
And La Pulga has his sights on returning to the club where it all began – Newell's Old Boys.
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“I always had the idea of being able to enjoy Argentine football, to play for Newell’s and, even more, to be world champion,” Messi revealed.
Despite entering the twilight of his career, Messi is showing no signs of slowing down just yet, but that hasn’t stopped him being asked the inevitable question of what he plans to do when he calls time on his career.
“What am I going to do after I retire? I don’t think about it and I don’t want to think about it,” he added.
“I want to continue to love what I do. I don’t want to think about the future, I want to enjoy it as much as possible. What I love most is playing and playing football.”
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had previously declared last year’s triumphant World Cup in Qatar would probably be his last at the tournament.
For now, next summer’s Copa America is in Messi’s immediate sights with the 2026 World Cup hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico too far away for him to give a definitive answer.
He continued: “I want to arrive at the Copa America in good condition, it will be good. Then I will see depending on my state of form.
"I’m not thinking about the next World Cup yet, because it’s far away. The years have passed and we have to see how I feel, I will see it day by day.”