Is Messi leaving Inter Miami? Beckham and other legends who left MLS to prepare for the World Cup

One year away from the FIFA World Cup 2026, speculation is growing around Lionel Messi’s future with Inter Miami. The Argentine star could follow the path of David Beckham and other icons who left MLS.

Lionel Messi’s future with Inter Miami remains uncertain, partly due to the approaching FIFA World Cup 2026 and how that goal could impact the forward’s plans. There is now speculation that he could follow the lead of other soccer legends like David Beckham, stepping away from Major League Soccer to compete in a more demanding league.

Messi has yet to publicly confirm whether he will play in the next World Cup with Argentina, but he has made it clear that he wants to try. However, a key factor in his final decision will be whether he still feels capable of performing at the highest level of world soccer at age 39.

As was evident during the Club World Cup, Inter Miami are still far from the level of Europe’s top clubs—something that doesn’t offer a very promising outlook for Leo, who is under contract with the Herons until December 2025 and has not yet progressed in talks to extend it.

“Messi would be considering playing in another league ahead of the 2026 World Cup,” journalist Esteban Edul recently said on ESPN. “I’m thinking Newell’s or Barcelona.” If something like this were to happen, it wouldn’t necessarily mean a permanent departure from Inter Miami. It could be a temporary move, with the intention of returning to MLS after the World Cup.

The David Beckham precedent

If Lionel were to leave Inter Miami to focus on his preparation for the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, he would join a list of stars who made similar decisions in past decades.

One of the early examples was David Beckham. The English icon arrived in the United States in 2007 from Real Madrid and had several standout seasons with Los Angeles Galaxy. However, as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa approached, he negotiated a return to Europe to try to secure a spot on England’s national team roster.

That’s why he arranged two loan spells with AC Milan, in 2009 and 2010. Ultimately, an Achilles tendon injury kept him from playing in his fourth World Cup, and he eventually returned to MLS, where he won titles in 2011 and 2012.

Thierry Henry did something similar

In addition to the significantly lower level of competition compared to Europe, MLS has a clear disadvantage when it comes to its calendar. While European leagues run from August to May almost without interruption, in the United States the season starts in late February, and many teams are done playing by November.

That’s exactly what happened to Messi in 2024: Inter Miami were eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Atlanta United, and the Argentine star went nearly four months without playing an official match—something that hadn’t happened during his time with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. To avoid a similar scenario ahead of the World Cup, Lionel might follow in Thierry Henry’s footsteps.

The French star joined New York Red Bulls in 2010 after a successful stint with Barcelona and remained there until his retirement in 2014. However, after the 2011 season ended in early November, Henry negotiated a temporary departure to stay in shape until the next MLS season began. That’s why he returned to Arsenal, where he played 7 matches and scored 2 goals before rejoining New York.

From: bolavip.com