"I can play three or four more years. I do it for the love of soccer, I enjoy it." That's Lionel Messi, 38 years old, showing no signs of wanting out anytime soon.
Antonio Cassano visited the Inter Miami training base and spent nearly two hours with Messi and his family — long enough for the kind of candid conversation that rarely makes it out of dressing rooms. The former Italy international, speaking on the Viva El Futbol podcast, admitted he was so starstruck he could barely speak. That detail alone says something about what Messi still means to footballers who have seen everything.
What this means for Miami — and Argentina
Messi's contract at Inter Miami runs through 2028, and his own words now align with that timeline. If he plays until 41, Miami aren't just buying a marketing asset through the final years — they're keeping a player who has scored 86 goals and registered 45 assists in 100 appearances. That's not a fading icon coasting on reputation. That's production.
The World Cup picture is the more combustible angle. The 2026 tournament in North America is tailor-made for a Messi farewell, and his comments — vague as they are on the national team — will be read as encouragement by Argentina fans desperate to see him in one more tournament. Scaloni will have noted them too.
Cassano also asked Messi whether he understood he was the greatest player in history. The response was typically Messi: "Antonio, whether I'm the No. 1, No. 2, No. 5, No. 10 or No. 15, what difference does it make to me? I have passion and love for soccer."
Inter Miami head into their May 10 fixture against Toronto off the back of a 4-3 loss to Orlando SC — a result that stings more given where the Herons expect to be in the Eastern Conference. But if Messi is committing to three or four more years at this level, their long-term competitive window in MLS stays open. That's worth factoring into any futures market on the club.
"He treated me in a way I never expected," Cassano said. At 38, with 86 goals in 100 MLS games and no plans to stop, Messi apparently still has that effect on people.
