Sport
Why Messi should remain in Europe
Lionel Messi is reaching the point everybody has long dreaded. The reality is dawning that his time is almost up; arguably the greatest footballer ever will soon be facing retirement. But as he showed at the World Cup in November, he is not likely to go quietly anytime soon.
This week, Messi won the FIFA Best award. Dragging Argentina to world glory last year should give him a great shot at winning an eighth Ballon d’Or. At 35, on this evidence at least, he looks as imperious as ever; but as he gets older, his ability doesn’t dwindle, his consistency does. The way Messi has adapted to the different stages of his career has been admirable, and is the main reason he continues to dominate the sport well beyond the age of his predicted decline. Energy conservation is key; he picks his moments and executes them in games, with runners doing his defensive work for him.
Messi grabbed the headlines in Qatar but Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernandez facilitated him from Argentina’s midfield.
Although very rarely involved in play, Messi is still the most intelligent player on the pitch. He is always scanning the area around him, developing a picture of the game to exploit. That’s why he’s so effective, even if he picks his moments. He plays deeper, too, linking well with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain and Julian Alvarez on the international stage. But so often, he is central to the most important moments in matches.
Having joined PSG following a cruel and emotional exit from Barcelona, where he rewrote history time and time again, his contract expires this summer. For the first time in his career, there are legitimate questions over whether he will continue in Europe. Major League Soccer, in particular David Beckham’s franchise Inter Miami FC, are keen to sign him, while a romantic ending at Newell’s Old Boys, his local club in Argentina before moving to Catalunya as a 13-year-old, has also been mooted.
Staying in Paris is still the most likely outcome at this stage, according to reports. Messi should think seriously about remaining in Europe, and at the highest level, while still having the influence he does. There are many players who can’t keep up when they reach their mid-30s, but there are plenty of titles for Messi to win, both individually and as a team, before he steps away. When he does, he can do so at the top.
It has been said that Messi is intrigued by life in MLS, and playing for Miami is an ambition. Reportedly, he has a house in Florida; with all those factors to consider, it makes more and more sense. From the club’s perspective, signing Messi, and seemingly his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets is everything.
Beckham joined LA Galaxy as a player in 2007 with the specific aim of growing the game. Owning a franchise was written into his contract with the league back then, so it is no surprise that he has ambitions to not only dominate on the pitch, but add to his initial work in increasing Soccer’s popularity, too. Beckham started that work, and with the USMNT developing a lot of young players alongside Canada, who also frequent the same league system, things have only improved over the last 15 years. Signing Messi in the next few months, when he is still capable of world class performances on a regular basis, would be a ginormous coup.
Phil Neville, the former Manchester United and England defender and Inter Miami coach, has confirmed the interest in both Messi and Busquets, describing the prospect of working with them as a ‘game-changer’.
“I’m not going to deny [it and say] there isn’t truth in the speculation that we’re interested in Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets,’ Neville told The Times.
“We want to bring the best players in the world to this football club. Messi and Busquets are the two that stand out more in recent years. They’re great players who would still be a massive benefit to this organisation. For MLS, it would be a game-changer.”
But for Messi, there is nothing to gain in terms of ‘growing the game’. Even a return to his homeland to play for the first time at club level, doesn’t really give him anything he needs. It would be a nice way to cement his legacy with supporters, who have grown to love him over years after initially struggling to warm to him because of his move to Barcelona so young.
Staying in Europe is the only real option for him. Cristiano Ronaldo, his oldest rival, has joined Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, but wasn’t exactly inundated with offers after leaving Manchester United. Had a top European club come calling, it feels unlikely that he’d still be settling in the Middle East.
Messi will have to wave goodbye to European football one day, but it is in everyone’s best interest for him to stick at it for a long as he possibly can.
