MLS superstar Lionel Messi wants to follow in the footsteps of Inter Miami’s David Beckham and become a club owner after hanging up his football boots.
The 38-year-old Argentina legend, who is signed with Miami through 2028, said he prefers ownership over coaching as a second act.
“I don’t see myself as a coach,” the two-time MLS MVP and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner told the Argentine streaming channel Luzu TV in an interview published Tuesday.
«I want to have my own club, start from the bottom up and make it big. I want to give children the opportunity to develop and achieve something important. If I had to choose, that would appeal to me more.»
Messi, who guided Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup championship in 2025, has a future minority stake in the MLS club in his contract.
In May, he helped longtime former MLS and FC Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez launch a new fourth division club, Deportivo LSM, in Suarez’s native Uruguay.
“I would like to thank Luis for giving me this opportunity, for inviting me to join him and share this project that he has been working on for many years and that has grown enormously,” Messi said at the time. ESPN Uruguay.
«It is an honor to be part of this. I hope to do everything I can to continue to grow this club and be by your side.»
Messi and Miami will open the 2026 MLS regular season on February 21 at Los Angeles FC.
Published on January 7, 2026
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