 "Lionel Messi had recently extended his contract with Inter Miami until 2028 and isn't likely to call time on his playing career before that. Reuters")
Lionel Messi has hinted at a career in the boardroom rather than the dugout after hanging up his boots. The Argentina legend, who currently plays for Major League Soccer Club Inter Miami in the twilight of his career and is likely to bring the curtains down on his international career at the FIFA World Cup later this year , has indicated that he would prefer owning a club rather than coaching one after retiring as a player.
Messi aims to create more opportunities for the next generation as an owner
The 38-year-old, best known for his 17-year spell with FC Barcelona besides his stellar international career, added that creating something for the next generation would be his primary focus as the owner of a club
“As a coach, I honestly don’t see myself. I like the idea of being a manager, but if I have to choose one of the three, I like being an owner the most,” Messi candidly revealed in a chat with Luzu TV on Tuesday.
“I’d like to have my own club… start from the bottom. To give opportunities to young players, to people, to help them grow and to build an important club,” he added.
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More recently, Messi had revealed how he had taken a liking to the world of business while remaining “100 per cent dedicated” to football as a player.
“I like to start looking at what could come next. I like the business world; I want to keep learning. I’m just getting started with it. I’ve always been 100 per cent dedicated to my profession, but I know that something else is coming - another world - and little by little, I’m getting involved,” Messi had said at the American Business Forum in November.
Messi would thus be following the footsteps of England and Manchester United legend David Beckham, who is the co-founder of the club that the Argentine is set to call his home until 2028 following a recent contract extension.
Messi had joined Deportivo LSM, an Uruguyan lower-division club led by close friend and Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez, as a partner last year and is also associated with Leones de Rosario FC which competes in the fourth tier of Argentine football.