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Messi prefers club ownership over coaching after retirement
Lionel Messi has said that when his playing career ends, he would rather become a football club owner than work as a coach.
The Argentine superstar recently signed a new three-year contract with Inter Miami that will keep him at the club until the 2028 season.
Speaking in an interview with Luzu TV recorded in December and aired this week, the 38-year-old said coaching does not interest him.
“I don’t see myself as a coach,” Messi said. “I like management, but if I had to choose, I would prefer to be an owner. I would love to have my own club, help it grow from the bottom, and give young players the chance to develop and build something important.”
Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, is already involved in club ownership. He is a part owner of Uruguay’s fourth-division side Deportivo LSM, alongside his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez.
Suarez launched the club in 2018 and said it was a family dream. The club now has more than 3,000 members and focuses on helping young players in Uruguay develop their football skills.
Under his Inter Miami contract, Messi will also receive a future minority ownership stake in the MLS club.
On the field, Messi enjoyed a brilliant season. He won the MLS Golden Boot after scoring 29 goals, five more than LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge. He also provided 19 assists, taking his total goal involvement to 48 — just one short of the league record set by Carlos Vela in 2019.
Messi also made history by becoming the first player to win back-to-back MLS MVP awards, reports UNB.