Lionel Messi left Paris Saint-Germain this past summer as a free agent to join MLS side Inter Miami. The 36-year-old experienced a great start with the South Florida club, winning Leagues Cup 2023 a few months ago.
However, injuries plagued the veteran and forced him to miss games, which wasn’t ideal for Inter Miami. The squad was already out of a playoff spot before Messi arrived, and the Argentine couldn’t work any miracles to push the team to the playoffs.
Messi and Co. fell 1-0 to FC Cincinnati on Saturday, eliminating Inter Miami from playoff contention. As a result, rumors are swirling about whether the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner will return to Europe, as the 2024 MLS season doesn’t start until February.
Inter Miami have been eliminated from the MLS playoffs ⛔️🇺🇸
After their October 21st match, Inter Miami will NOT play another MLS game until late February.
Since Messi's debut, Inter Miami only won one of the six games he missed and only lost one of the 13 he's played in. pic.twitter.com/VxbvSMILcf
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 8, 2023
Could the former PSG star return to FC Barcelona for a brief stint? Five months of no football is a lot for a player to go without playing, even if Messi is dealing with an injury.
Messi may not want his lasting memory of European football to be his exit from PSG. Supporters were booing and whistling at him, along with protests calling for the seven-time Ballon d’Or player to leave.
So, this could be a motivating factor should he return to Europe.
