Messi just won his first MLS Cup title with Inter Miami, but the headline dominating the conversation in the United States has nothing to do with goals or assists. According to David Beckham, the club owner and Messi’s partner in this American chapter, the Argentine has already made it clear that he plans to move back to Barcelona once he retires.
Messi is a champion in the U.S., but his mind is still at Camp Nou
Inter Miami’s 3–1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps put Messi in the spotlight once again. He finished the season as the MLS top scorer with 35 goals and the league leader in assists with 24, all of that in only 34 matches, numbers that show why the league has been living through a sort of Messi fever ever since he arrived.
But while American fans were already dreaming of a long-term relationship, Beckham poured some cold water on the idea.
According to him, Messi has never hidden his desire to return to the city where he built his legacy. Beckham told Apple TV, “Leo told me he only thinks about living near Camp Nou. I’d love for him to live in Miami after he retires, but there’s no player who loves Barcelona as much as he does. He has the club’s crest tattooed on his leg, even his water bottle has it,” he said, laughing.
Messi may be shining brightly in the U.S., but his roots are still deeply planted in Catalonia.
Beckham’s take on the match and Messi’s decisive influence
Besides revealing Messi’s post-retirement plans, Beckham also commented on the MLS final. He praised the Vancouver Whitecaps, who didn’t shy away from the challenge and even controlled parts of the match.
“All credit to them, they played a great game and put us under a lot of pressure. When they scored, they dominated us for stretches. But we regained control once we started keeping the ball in midfield again. When you give the ball to Leo, he creates something. The team stayed very united, and that made the difference.”
In other words, even when Miami struggles, Messi just needs one touch to change the entire rhythm of the game. It’s the same effect he carried throughout his career, and now U.S. fans get to see it live.
What’s most interesting is that Beckham’s comments don’t diminish Messi’s impact in MLS. They actually highlight something bigger. He didn’t come to the U.S. to coast through the end of his career. He came to compete, win and cement a legacy. His choice to return to Barcelona afterward shows that, even with new experiences in a new league, Messi is still guided by attachment and identity, two things no trophy, massive contract or sunny weather can replace.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami is making the most of every moment with its biggest star, fully aware that this story has an expiration date but also that, while it lasts, no one in the country will look away.