Lionel Messi spoke on his legacy in soccer, future plans, and Club World Cup in an interview with Zane Lowe

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Messi admitted that he always wanted to play in MLSBacked Club World Cup in the United States to be a successAsserted that the goal this year is to 'win a championship'Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Messi spoke extensively on his legacy in soccer and his future plans in a wide-ranging interview with Apple's Zane Lowe at the start of the 2025 MLS campaign. In the lengthy conversation, the Argentine backed Inter Miami to win a first MLS Cup, admitted he never enjoyed life at PSG, and outlined the importance of halftime in dictating game performances.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMESSI ON GOALS WITH INTER MIAMI

After a disappointing first-round exit, Messi emphasized the importance of delivering on expectations this season.

"I think that the team we have today is built to try to win a championship, and that is what we're aiming at. I think there was a good adaptation from the boys that came, with the young folks that the club and the team had," Messi said. "And I think that's the objective that has to remain, to aspire to get titles, keep helping the club to grow and that the youth that are emerging from the club have the chance to keep showing up, keep playing in the Inter, play in the MLS and give the opportunity to those who have a dream and fight to achieve it. I think that's the path, right? To keep going upward, considering where we were at the start and keep growing a lot more."

MESSI ON THE CLUB WORLD CUP

This year, Messi's Inter Miami will participate in their first Club World Cup after a special invite from FIFA following their Supporters' Shield success. The Argentine believes the tournament is an important one for MLS as it allows the league to introduce itself to new fans and keep growing.

"I think this is… very important for the club, especially, to participate for the first time in a World Cup that will take place in the country and for the MLS to have two teams is a wonderful thing, and like I said, everything that's happening creates an opportunity for the MLS to keep growing in football, as a league, and for other players to have the opportunity to come and keep growing I think… football is different from the sports they are accustomed to watching in the U.S., and I think it should be managed differently because it's a different sport and this is an opportunity to change the chip, to shift, and for the MLS to continue maturing," he said.

GettyMESSI ON THE APPEAL OF MIAMI

Messi acknowledged after a difficult spell with PSG, the move to MLS was the right one at the right time of his career.

READ MORE:2025 MLS player survey – from best player to best-run club

"I always had it in my mind to play in the MLS. I think I said it more than once. It attracted me and it was something I wanted to do. Coming to play for Inter Miami was an opportunity and the way things developed during my last years in Paris, although it was a decision that I had to make on the go because I had to leave from Barcelona, I went through two years which I didn't enjoy. I wasn't happy on a daily basis, with the trainings, and the matches, I had a hard time adapting to all that. I felt called to come to Inter because it's a club that's growing, very new, with few years as a club. I liked the idea of coming and help the club to become a greater club and I also knew it was a city that my family and I would enjoy, although I didn't know it so well because I had come only a few times I knew about it, because I have family and friends that visited and visit this city and I thought it was the right time, and I don't regret it, quite the opposite," he said.