What's next for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami after FIFA Club World Cup?
Fellow co-owner David Beckham was subdued. His playing days are long over, but he still suffers defeat as tough as he did as a competitor.
They both met star Lionel Messi for an embrace outside Inter Miami's locker room for a brief chat, following the club's 4-0 elimination in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup to UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, June 29.
'We rose to the occasion. We gave it our all. And that has to serve us well for what's really important to us, which is what's coming next,' Messi told DSports after the loss.
'Anyway, I'm very happy to have been able to play in this Club World Cup, to have been able to compete, even though, obviously, we're in a different league, a different level, and we can't compete. We played against a team that is coming off a Champions League final win … and right now, they're the best team in the world, without a doubt. So, it was normal for what happened today to happen.'
What's next for Messi and Inter Miami after being ousted in the tournament?
The first two items on the agenda are exclusive to Messi — the reigning MLS MVP, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup champion.
Messi is signed with Inter Miami through the rest of the 2025 MLS season (November or December, depending on the club's run in the MLS Cup playoffs). Mas would love for Messi to extend his stay with the club, at least through next season when Inter Miami opens its new stadium at Miami Freedom Park. He could extend for longer, too.
Messi must also let the world know whether he will lead Argentina's World Cup defense in the tournament co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It would be Messi's sixth World Cup and could be the final act of a legendary career as one of the greatest to ever play the sport.
One teammate is hopeful Messi re-signs and takes the World Cup stage again, too.
'Yes, why not? At the end of the day, I don't see him anywhere else, to be honest, but it's his decision,' said Inter Miami's Jordi Alba, who played with Messi in Barcelona. 'Ultimately, the decisions he has made have always been the right ones, and obviously I see him competing for the World Cup.'
Messi just finished his second straight summer of elite competition in the U.S. Some rest could be on the way for Messi when Inter Miami continues MLS regular-season play. He experienced some right thigh discomfort during the Club World Cup so maintenance will be needed. At least it won't be a lengthy layoff like last year, when he missed two months with a severe ankle injury he suffered in Argentina's Copa America title win against Colombia last July.
Does Messi have (at least) one more summer in him?
Remembering Inter Miami's Club World Cup run
Sure, Inter Miami took a tough loss against PSG with the world watching on Sunday, June 29. But they can proudly say it's one of the best 16 clubs in the world after the Club World Cup. That's an accomplishment they can boast with pride.
Still, it will be difficult to remember their Club World Cup run without thinking about the one game they let slip away.
Inter Miami was so close to winning their group in the tournament. They had a 2-0 lead against Brazilian side Palmerias, but couldn't hang on. They allowed Palmeiras to score twice in the final 10 minutes of the match, settling for a bittersweet draw. They still advanced to the knockout stage, but they ran into a juggernaut in PSG.
Palmeiras advanced past fellow Brazilian side Botafogo 1-0 in extra time during their June 28 round-of-16 match, and will face English Premier League side Chelsea in the quarterfinals.
We will never know if Inter Miami could have beaten Botafogo or had a chance to compete against Chelsea. Even if they beat Palmeiras, it likely would have delayed the inevitability of them being eliminated.
Still, it's something Inter Miami will wonder about.
'We ended up drawing and facing PSG, which was much more complicated, but it's not a criticism. Just a situation that could have been different, because if we had won 2-0, rather than drawing in the last 10 minutes, we wouldn't have been left with that bitter taste,' Messi said. 'But anyway, beyond that, I think we competed and now it's over, it's finished and we have to think about what's coming next, our next tournament and nothing else."
Inter Miami was the first MLS team to face a reigning Champions League winner. They carried the flag for MLS in the tournament, while the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC were bounced during the group stage.
Inter Miami earned the first win by a North American team against a European club in a FIFA competition, defeating FC Porto from Portugal on June 19.
And Inter Miami cleared $21 million of a $1 billion prize pool in the Club World Cup.
'Our @fifaclubworldcup journey comes to an end. I'm so proud of the players, the staff and the fans for all we have achieved together these last few weeks,' Beckham wrote in an Instagram post after the game. 'We've shown the world what the city of Miami is capable of, performing on the biggest stage against the best.'
What's next for Inter Miami?
Inter Miami has 18 MLS regular-season matches remaining this season and will begin play later this month in the Leagues Cup tournament, which they won in 2023.
Inter Miami returns to MLS action on July 5 in Montreal, then July 9 in New England. They've got six league matches to play before Leagues Cup begins on July 30.
'It serves us well,' Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari said. 'We have to turn the page, obviously … but we mustn't forget what we've achieved.'
Added Alba: 'We can compete against anyone … if we stay focused and keep this desire in the MLS, we'll have a lot of chances to win.'
Inter Miami might be sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings and 10th for MLS's Supporters' Shield, which they won last season. But Inter Miami will continue to be a favorite to win MLS Cup later this year — especially after their Club World Cup performance.
Inter Miami has won two titles since Messi joined the club in July 2023. Their pursuit to win the Concacaf Champions Cup failed earlier this year. Their aspirations to make a statement in the Club World Cup was a success.
Another Leagues Cup title would be an accomplishment.
Winning MLS Cup would further validate Inter Miami's Messi experience, beyond the impact he's already made playing in the U.S. for the last two years.
'We did our best and that has to serve us for what is really important, which is what is coming,' Messi said. 'Very happy to have been able to play this Club World Cup, to have been able to compete beyond the fact that we are in another league and at another level.'
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