Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, made a monumental move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2023 by joining Inter Miami.
His arrival significantly boosted the league's global visibility, and he helped the club achieve historic milestones, including winning the Leagues Cup. However, there are growing speculations about Messi's potential departure from Inter Miami, fueled by various factors such as his ambition to compete at the highest levels and the lure of new challenges.

Lionel Messi has already spent one and a half seasons at the club. Inter Miami, though it provides a lucrative financial deal, can cause seasonal timings and scheduling issues for the veteran Argentina star. Also, the vast travelling across USA is another reason why Messi may ponder a move away from the Florida outfit. But on the other hand, Messi has a plethora of former Barcelona players at the MLS club and together they may aim to win the MLS Cup or even the Concacaf Champions League - which may prompt Messi to extend his stay at Miami.
As per the latest reports, Lionel Messi has announced his willingness to stay at Inter Miami. Messi's decision is said to be directly linked to the arrival of his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano, who has replaced Gerardo Martino as the head coach of the club. The MLS club is also confident to keep the Argentina international and they may propose him a new contract soon, with the current deal set to expire at the end of 2025. Messi has been reportedly very enthusiastic about the new project and that may tilt the balance in Messi staying at the club.
If things go south between Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, here are two probable destinations of the Argentina star for the upcoming season.
After Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar moved to Saudi Arabia, Messi could be the next global star to join the league, backed by lucrative offers from clubs like Al-Hilal. The Saudi Pro League has proven its financial capability, and Messi would receive an enormous paycheck while helping further develop football in the region. And if Al Nassr can lure him towards themselves, football world may witness the dream of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing together.
Returning to his boyhood club in Argentina has always been on Messi's radar. It would mark a poetic conclusion to his career, playing in front of his hometown Rosario fans and fulfilling a long-held dream. The intensity of South American football and potential security concerns in Rosario, coupled with the club's limited financial capacity, may be a challenge but the Argentine has been very keen of ending his career at his hometown club, which may fuel him for a swansong at Newell's Old Boys.