Sergio Ramos’ next move after Monterrey in 2026 FIFA World Cup bid: Three European giants lined up or fairytale MLS link-up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami?
Sergio Ramos is preparing for yet another turning point in his extraordinary career, and this time the decision carries both personal and international weight. As the veteran defender evaluates his next move after Monterrey, the lure of a return to Europe grows stronger, even while the possibility of joining Lionel Messi in MLS stirs curiosity across the soccer world. The Spanish legend, now 39, still dreams of a final push toward the 2026 World Cup, and the team he eventually chooses could determine whether that dream lives or dies.
Behind the scenes, Ramos has reportedly made it clear that he will not retire, and that his next club must offer him something Monterrey cannot: proximity to home, elite-level competition, and renewed visibility in front of Spain’s national team staff. The decision to leave Mexico at the end of his contract in December is not rooted in dissatisfaction with the club.
In fact, the experienced centre-back has openly expressed admiration for the fans, the city, and the soccer culture that welcomed him so enthusiastically. But two factors have pushed him toward the exit. “Two main reasons have led him to this decision: the desire to improve family life and the ambition to play the World Cup with Spain,” reports Diario AS.
Ramos has not played for La Roja since 2021. He missed Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024. While the odds of a comeback remain slim due to the rise of Dean Huijsen, Pau Cubarsi, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, and Robin Le Normand, Ramos believes that high-level European soccer is the only way to make himself impossible to ignore.
He has good precedent to believe this. Aymeric Laporte’s recent return from Saudi Arabia to Athletic Bilbao—reportedly with encouragement from the national staff—has served as motivation. Ramos sees himself on a similar path. Even so, he leaves the Rayados with credit. Across 2025, he made more than 30 appearances, scoring seven goals and starring in the new-format FIFA Club World Cup. “He is in love with the city, in love with the fans… and he does not think about retiring,” journalist Juanfe Sanz said on El Chiringuito.
Europe calling: The three clubs finally revealed
According to Diario AS and Goal, three European teams are monitoring the defender closely. In Italy, a title-contending side sees Ramos as the ideal veteran leader for its tight back line. In Germany, a club rebounding from a rocky start wants his leadership to push for the Bundesliga crown. And in France, a team just behind the champions believes his experience could tilt the title race.
Those clubs are Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, and Marseille — three sides in three leagues who see the Spanish veteran as more than nostalgia: they see him as an immediate solution. The veteran’s profile fits all three: a serial winner, a natural leader, and someone who can raise the competitive standard instantly. Each team offers top-level soccer, massive exposure, and a chance at deep European competition.
The MLS alternative
While Europe is the priority, MLS remains a real option — and a sensational one. Ramos himself admitted to Diario AS in 2024, “The United States is a country that says a lot about family matters.” No destination in the U.S. would be bigger than Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi continues to shape the league both on and off the pitch.
With one Designated Player spot opening next season due to the retirements of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Miami suddenly has room for a defensive leader. The club has struggled at the back, and Ramos’ personality — intensity, charisma, big-match mentality — fits the profile of what Miami wants heading into its move to Miami Freedom Park.
The idea of Ramos joining Messi again, this time in pink rather than white or Parisian blue, would be one of the stories of 2026.