Messi to MLS (Inter Miami)

BorisManUtd

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He'll be 36 come summer, Ronaldo will be 38 in 2 months. Seems like 2023 is a year where Ronaldo and Messi era at top level definitely ends.
 

SilentWitness

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Messi seems a bit more ‘emotional’ than Ronaldo. It almost broke him leaving Barcelona and I reckon if Argentina do poorly again in the WC it will break him again. I don’t think he sees football as Ronaldo does where he would play to 50 if he could to break every record.
 

Josh 76

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He'll be 36 come summer, Ronaldo will be 38 in 2 months. Seems like 2023 is a year where Ronaldo and Messi era at top level definitely ends.
Can’t come soon enough. They WERE the best, but have just been living off their reputations for the last few years. Getting boring to be honest!
 

Adam-Utd

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Maybe Messi just doesn't want to play at the top level any more? he has nothing to prove.

I'd imagine Florida life is similar to Barcelona - much more than Paris anyway.

He can enjoy the last few years of his career in the sunshine at a slower tempo. It's also way closer to his Family in Argentina too.

It honestly makes sense.
 

Ladron de redcafe

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Laporta planting the seeds for a comeback. He's free to negotiate starting January 1st but reports from France suggest that Messi has already given s verbal agreement to an extension with PSG.
 

Red Pumpkin

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He has completed football and should retire like Zidane or why not Khabib Nurmagomedov did at the top.

But I guess if he wants to he could play a couple of years in USA or Argentina to get his victory laps.

The worst thing he could do is overstay his welcome in a top club. His first year at PSG was dreadful and then he somehow found it in him to play well a couple of months before the world cup and during. Let's leave us with those memories.
 

Svartzonker

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He can enjoy the last few years of his career in the sunshine at a slower tempo. It's also way closer to his Family in Argentina too.
I think most of his family already lives in Florida. I read it somewhere a while ago.
 

LawCharltonBest

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Laporta planting the seeds for a comeback. He's free to negotiate starting January 1st but reports from France suggest that Messi has already given s verbal agreement to an extension with PSG.
I'd like to see him go back there and finish there. But maybe Ronaldo's return to United might be on his mind.
 

K2K

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I'd like to see him go back there and finish there. But maybe Ronaldo's return to United might be on his mind.
Ronaldo's returned soured because of Ronaldo.

I can't see Messi behaving like that even if he was benched. He'd also still be Barca's best player. Other than the fact that he's 35, he has no business going to these smaller leagues. Still one of the top 3 players in the world.
 

Laurencio

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Ronaldo's returned soured because of Ronaldo.

I can't see Messi behaving like that even if he was benched. He'd also still be Barca's best player. Other than the fact that he's 35, he has no business going to these smaller leagues. Still one of the top 3 players in the world.
On a personal level he might enjoy having an adventure in the US. For the US game it would be incalculable. He would bring buzz to the league because of who he is, a lot of people would tune in just to watch him dismantle every team in the US, and he's clearly not past it given that he was the best player at the World Cup and likely wins the balon d'or. They would likely pay him a shedload of money as well. It wouldn't hamper his international career as I don't think it is possible to drop Messi from any Argentina squad after this World Cup. He will have to retire for that to happen.

It's not like winning the league with PSG adds anything to his legacy. At Barca he'll either end up on the bench in a few years time or hang on too long. Which would be sad. Being the best player to ever play on two continents and maybe having a similar if not bigger impact than Pele had on the US game would however add to his legend.
 

apotheosis

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Ronaldo's returned soured because of Ronaldo.

I can't see Messi behaving like that even if he was benched. He'd also still be Barca's best player. Other than the fact that he's 35, he has no business going to these smaller leagues. Still one of the top 3 players in the world.
In the right setup I agree that there are still no better playmakers than Messi. His vision and the consistently perfect timing and weight of his passes are simply next level.

Nobody else like him, he is truly without peer.
 

K2K

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On a personal level he might enjoy having an adventure in the US. For the US game it would be incalculable. He would bring buzz to the league because of who he is, a lot of people would tune in just to watch him dismantle every team in the US, and he's clearly not past it given that he was the best player at the World Cup and likely wins the balon d'or. They would likely pay him a shedload of money as well. It wouldn't hamper his international career as I don't think it is possible to drop Messi from any Argentina squad after this World Cup. He will have to retire for that to happen.

It's not like winning the league with PSG adds anything to his legacy. At Barca he'll either end up on the bench in a few years time or hang on too long. Which would be sad. Being the best player to ever play on two continents and maybe having a similar if not bigger impact than Pele had on the US game would however add to his legend.
You make good points about the off-field stuff. However at this world cup Messi proved that he's still right at the top of his game. And it would be wasted against very average players.

The 2024 Copa America isn't far away and it wouldn't hurt him to still be playing at a high level even then. He's got the ability and the football brain to adjust into a deeper position. And I would love to see him do just that.

I also think that there's only so much Messi can do to uplift US Soccer. It's growing by popularity but it will never be the top sport there.
 

apotheosis

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Once in a lifetime talent. And to to this for 20 years!
Yep, doubt we will see another like him. What a way to cap it all off! I don't think that the pressure of constantly lving in Maradonas shadow is mentioned often enough.

Imagine producing the performances he has, the trophies and personal accolades he has amassed and yet still being viewed as a failure unless he emulates Maradonas achievements. Got to take a toll eventually.

So to see him finally lead his team so influentially to WC glory was very satisfying. The sweetest of cherries with which to top an already impressive looking cake.
 

K2K

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Yep, doubt we will see another like him. What a way to cap it all off! I don't think that the pressure of constantly lving in Maradonas shadow is mentioned often enough.

Imagine producing the performances he has, the trophies and personal accolades he has amassed and yet still being viewed as a failure unless he emulates Maradonas achievements. Got to take a toll eventually.

So to see him finally lead his team so influentially to WC glory was very satisfying. The sweetest of cherries with which to top an already impressive looking cake.
That sums it up.

He had the world of expectation on his career right from his debut in 2005. To be able to achieve what he has achieved is simply extraordinary. Especially at this world cup. He had no right performing like this as a 35 year old. Especially with this likely being his last world cup.