Four days after his farewell for Argentina, Lionel Messi played the full 90 minutes in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win over DC United, scoring in the 47th and 60th minutes. Luis Suárez also scored twice, in the 3rd and 39th. Messi now leads MLS scoring this season with 23 goals.

Off the pitch, the retirement question has not gone away. Footy Headlines, in a 28 September exclusive, reported that Messi is weighing retirement at the end of 2026, two years before the December 2028 expiry of his Inter Miami deal. The outlet attributed the claim to a “reliable but anonymous” source and acknowledged that 100% confirmation was still pending. Inter Miami have made no statement on the report.

A report with heavy caveats

The Footy Headlines piece sits outside the outlet’s usual beat of boots and shirt leaks. It says talks about an earlier exit have reportedly gained traction “behind closed doors,” without offering further detail or on-the-record sourcing.

What is confirmed is that Messi has ended his international career. His last appearance for Argentina came on 6 October at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, where he scored a penalty in a 3-0 win over Benin in a friendly staged for the farewell. The Argentine Football Association called him into the squad specifically for that match.

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Jorge Messi’s death and an open letter

The question of what Messi does next has been colored by personal loss. His father, Jorge Messi, died at a clinic in Rosario on 8 August 2026 at age 68 after a long illness. Four days later, Lionel Messi published an open letter on Instagram paying tribute to his father, and he has since acknowledged doubts about continuing his playing career.

González wants fans to enjoy Messi while they can

Saturday’s rout of DC United was the first win of Cristian “Kily” González’s tenure as Inter Miami head coach. The Argentine, who took charge on 16 September 2026, had already addressed the question of what the club now owes its captain.

“He’ll be missed in that jersey, of course, but today we have him here, and we have to enjoy having him with us now. Now he’s ours,” González told reporters after Messi’s Argentina send-off.

An early exit at the end of 2026 would pull MLS’s biggest draw out of the league with two seasons still left on the contract. For now, Messi has answered on the pitch: four days after his last international, 90 minutes played, two goals scored, top of the MLS scoring charts.

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