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    • Lionel Messi breaks the silence on Inter Miami’s exit in the playoffs. What’s next?
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    Lionel Messi breaks the silence on Inter Miami’s exit in the playoffs. What’s next?

    Sakege Posted on

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    Lionel Messi’s season in Major League Soccer is over. So, what’s next for the Argentine World Cup champion in the United States?

    A busy 2025 and Possibly the 2026 World Cup? That is surely the hope.

    Messi’s pending retirement? Not yet, but it’s closer than we think.

    Messi is on the last trip of his legendary career. He has a contract with Inter Miami until 2025. He will turn 38 next June and has not committed to playing in the next World Cup when he turns 39.

    Injuries, fatigue and even an upset of epic proportions were in the cards in 2024. They will no doubt be back on the table in the next year or two for him.

    “A season ended in which we continued to grow as a club and, although we achieved some objectives, we wanted more” Messi wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Thank you to all the people who accompanied and supported us. Now let’s prepare to come back stronger next year.”

    Messi and Inter Miami were eliminated by Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs on Saturday. it was between the biggest surprises in league historyand a bitter way to end Messi’s first full season with the club.

    Messi’s status as one of the greatest to ever play the sport has not changed despite Inter Miami’s elimination in the first round of the playoffs. But failing to cap a historic MLS season with the MLS Cup is certainly a shortcoming for him, Inter Miami, the league and corporate partners like Apple TV.

    Messi will play the last two games of his year helping Argentina qualifies for the next World Cup. Argentina visits Paraguay on Wednesday and will host Peru next Tuesday. Then, the offseason begins for Messi as the MLS Cup Playoffs continue without him.

    Inter Miami is on the clock. The club co-owned by David Beckham and brothers Jorge and José Mas already had everything ready for 2024, having secured talent to surround Messi and maintain the team’s rhythm during his absences. They won two titles, the Leagues Cup 2023 and MLS Supporters’ Shield, this season. Can they find the same magic next year?

    Luis Suarez is in contract talks to return. Jordi Alba wants to return, and Sergio Busquets probably will if the others do. And perhaps Neymar will reunite with his fellow former Barcelona stars when his contract with Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al-Hilal expires next summer.

    Messi will have no major obligations with the national team outside of next year’s World Cup qualifiers. Inter Miami will play in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Club World CupLeagues Cup and compete for the MLS title again in 2025. Including another Supporters Shield chase, Inter Miami has five chances to win titles.

    “The step I wanted to take here did not mean retirement, far from it,” Messi said about joining Inter Miami. “We came to continue making this club great… to help with growth (and) win titles.”

    Still, it’s clear that Messi is near the end of his prime. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but faded during the biggest games of the year.

    Messi scored one goal and played in five of six games during the Copa América. He missed a penalty in the quarterfinals vs. Ecuadorattempting a shot up the middle that went over the post and landed on the top of the net.

    He also tried to play through a right ankle injury in the finals against Columbia. He sobbed on the bench disappointed because his ankle swelled up like a softball when he left the game in the second half.

    It was good that his teammates, such as star goalkeeper Dibu Martínez, closed the door on the competition, and Lautaro Martínez scored the winning goal in the final to help. Messi and Argentina win their second consecutive Copa América final.

    During the MLS season, Messi scored a goal and had five assists against the New York Red Bulls on May 4. He scored two goals against defending champion Columbus Crew to help Miami wins the Supporters’ Shield October 2. He even scored two hat-tricks in one week. one for Argentinaand in The end of the Inter Miami season to take the MLS points record, just before the playoffs.

    But Messi scored just one goal with an assist in the first three MLS playoff games of his career as Inter Miami’s season came to an unexpected end.

    Atlanta interim coach Rob Valentino galvanized his team with a “nothing to lose, everything to gain” attitude. No player responded more than Atlanta goaltender Brad Guzan, who was impenetrable throughout the series and made 17 saves.

    Inter Miami also played most of the final two games of the series without Busquets, the legendary midfielder who played center back for most of the season. He suffered a blow that caused pneumonia-like symptoms and was cleared to play in Saturday’s final game, just one day before the game.

    Busquets’ injury is gone Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender. on a defensive island, which turned out to be a bad recipe for success. Atlanta beat Inter Miami 5-2 in the last two games and 6-5 in the series.

    However, the disparity between Inter Miami and Atlanta was evident. Inter Miami had two finalists for MVP in Messi and Suárez. Messi’s $20.46 million salary alone is more than 23rd-ranked Atlanta’s $15.2 million payroll.third among 29 MLS teams. The 34 points between them in the standings were the largest in MLS postseason history.

    “The expectation is to win and move forward. And when that doesn’t happen, it hurts a lot. I think that’s what we’re experiencing,” Callender said after the loss.

    Messi has honored MLS and the United States in the last few years of his career, and leading Inter Miami to another title will not take away the appeal of what he has already done.

    Inter Miami’s first playoff game was The most watched sporting event on Apple TV.

    Messi owns the number one selling jersey in MLS and globally for adidas, helping Inter Miami become an international brand in the league.

    More people attended MLS games in person this season than any other in its 30-year history, while the league also saw increases in corporate sponsorships and social media reach.

    Inter Miami has become the most followed North American sports team on TikTok (10.2 million followers) and the third most followed on Instagram (17.2 million followers) behind the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.

    Messi’s personal endeavors continue to prosper with your own drink, cologne, action hero toy and menu with Hard Rock and other commercial partnerships with adidas, Michelob Ultra, Lays and Lowe’s, to name a few.

    Sure, business is booming and will continue to do so for Messi.

    But the window is closing.

    The fans who love Messi the most simply don’t know if he has one or two years left.

    “Honestly, I don’t know how limited (his time here) is,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said of Messi’s future. “Time is passing and it’s clearly on the horizon, but I wouldn’t say it’s coming anytime soon.”

    Sakege
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