Messi’s retirement timeline revealed by Italy icon Cassano after private meeting in Miami
As Lionel Messi gets closer to deciding whether he will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he is also approaching his 39th birthday. Against that backdrop, he recently received a visit from Antonio Cassano in Miami, where the two spoke about the future of the Argentine forward’s career.
“He spent an hour and 40 minutes with me and my family. We talked about many things. He treated me in a way I never expected. He’s the only person that, when I see him, I can’t speak, I can’t say anything,” Cassano said on the Viva El Futbol podcast while recalling his meeting with Messi just one week ago.
The former Italy forward did not hesitate to express his admiration for the Argentina legend. “Leo, do you even realize that you are the greatest player the history of soccer has ever seen?” Cassano asked him. “Antonio, whether I’m the No. 1, No. 2, No. 5, No. 10 or No. 15, what difference does it make to me?” the Inter Miami star replied.
“It changes nothing for me. I don’t listen to whether I’m first, second or third. I have passion and love for soccer,” Messi added before revealing his plans for the final stretch of his professional career: “I can play three or four more years. I do it for the love of soccer, I enjoy it.”
Messi’s future in soccer
The anecdote shared by Antonio Cassano offers an important clue about the direction Lionel Messi’s career could take over the next few years. At club level, it is already known that he signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through December 31, 2028.
That guarantees, at minimum, that he will complete the current MLS season and play at least two more after that. By then, Leo will be 41 years old. However, if he follows through on his current plan to play “three or four more years,” he could still have room to extend his professional career even further.
At international level, the picture appears less clear. With no official confirmation regarding his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it seems difficult to imagine his time with Argentina lasting much longer beyond next year. But the same feeling emerged after his own comments following the title in Qatar in 2022, and yet he remained part of the squad for nearly four more years.
Who is Antonio Cassano?
Lionel Messi’s legendary status is clear to soccer fans around the world. Still, it becomes even more evident when other stars openly express their admiration for the Argentine forward.
Antonio Cassano admitted he felt nervous in Messi’s presence, something that may come as a surprise considering he himself was a soccer star for years. After shining with AS Roma in the early 2000s, the former Italy forward joined Real Madrid in 2005. Later in his career, he also played for other European giants such as AC Milan and Inter Milan.
During his professional career, Cassano shared the pitch with stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, Francesco Totti, Gabriel Batistuta and Paolo Maldini. Even so, no player left a greater impression on him than Lionel Messi.