The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner won't be much use to his country next year if he continues to play at a lower level
"Peace has cost you your strength; victory has defeated you," the muscle-bound, arch-villain Bane tells Batman after catching one of his punches in the hit movie 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The time-worn caped crusader continues to fight as hard as he can, but is ultimately left with a broken back at the end of the scene, having succumbed to the most dangerous pitfall of all: complacency.
There was a similar feeling of futility generated by watching Lionel Messi toil in the second half of Inter Miami's Club World Cup last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last weekend. Even at the ripe old age of 38, Messi was still able to produce dazzling moments of genius, including a beautiful first-time pass for Luis Suarez that should have earned him an assist, but it was nowhere near enough to lay a glove on an opponent operating at the highest possible technical and physical level.
It was sad to see perhaps the greatest player in the history of the sport fighting a battle he was never going to win. "The match was what was expected," Messi admitted to after the 4-0 thrashing. "They’re a great team, winners of the last Champions League, and they’re in really good shape. We tried to do our best, and I think we left a good impression at the Club World Cup."
Is simply leaving a "good impression" the goal now for Messi at this stage of his illustrious career? The diminutive wizard has found peace in Miami, but he's also become complacent, and that's bad news for Argentina one year out from their World Cup defence. However, fresh rumours of a potential return to Barcelona have also surfaced in recent days, which would change everything for Messi and the Albiceleste…
Getty Images SportContract uncertainty
Those rumours were sparked by Esteban Edul, who claimed Messi is considering a move to a more competitive league once his current contract at Inter Miami expires in December, so he can have the best possible preparation for the World Cup. But the truth of the matter may not be that clear-cut.
Spanish journalist Guillem Ballague has suggested that "nobody knows, least of all, Messi himself" if the Miami captain will even play at the 2026 tournament. "At the moment, he is just taking it game by game, tournament by tournament," Balague added to .
"If he renews and stays in America, he'll evaluate the situation when he needs to, but for the time being he is just taking things step by step. Everyone involved wants to see him leading Argentina at the World Cup in America in a year's time. But he has not indicated to anyone what his final decision is."
has since reported that Messi is open to signing an extension with Miami, who are confident that negotiations are heading in the right direction. But if Messi does decide to appear at his sixth World Cup, and he's serious about making a decisive impact, it would make little sense for him to stay in MLS, which is still a long way behind the most competitive leagues in Europe.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALClub World Cup embarrassment
That fact was underlined by how Miami, LAFC and the Seattle Sounders fared at the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup. Miami beat Porto 2-1 in the group stage, courtesy of a sublime Messi free-kick, to become the first club in CONCACAF history to defeat a European opponent in an official competition, and the first from America to win a Club World Cup match, while earning draws against Al Ahly and Palmeiras to secure passage to the round of 16.
That was also a first for any team in MLS history, but LAFC and the Sounders finished bottom of their respective groups without a single win to their name. LAFC's failure was especially disappointing given their favourable draw alongside Chelsea and two very beatable sides in Flamengo and Tunisian outfit Esperance Tunis.
Miami's humiliating thrashing at the hands of PSG also completely overshadowed their record-breaking achievements. The Sounders only lost 2-0 to Luis Enrique's side in their group clash, but Miami were four goals down by half-time in what turned out to be the mismatch of the tournament so far.
It would likely have been even worse for Javier Mascherano's side had PSG not taken their foot off the gas after the restart, too, as Luis Enrique made five substitutions before the 70-minute mark. Miami didn't even register a shot until the 50th minute – a deflected effort from Messi – such was PSG's dominance.
Miami's Club World Cup campaign cannot be painted as a success after such a chastening defeat, and it would be perfectly understandable if it has left Messi contemplating his future.
Getty/GOAL'Isn't the Messi I know'
Indeed, it was all too much for one of Messi's former colleagues to bear. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played alongside the Argentina icon at Barcelona in 2009-10, told immediately after the final whistle put Miami out of their misery against PSG: "Messi plays with statues, not team-mates. He's surrounded by players who run as if they were carrying bags of cement."
Ibrahimovic added: "This isn't the Messi I know. If you put him in a real team, he'd go all-out. There are no coaches, no stars, not even players who understand how to move without the ball. If he were on a real team, any great team, you'd see the real lion. Messi plays alone because he loves the game, because he can still do what 99 percent of players can't. But this isn't the Messi I know."
Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets complete Miami's contingent of Barcelona legends, with another in Mascherano currently serving as head coach, but they have precious little star quality in their ranks beyond that, and PSG ruthlessly exposed their glaring weaknesses.
Ibrahimovic is right: Messi is a big fish in a very small pond and he's having to shoulder way too much responsibility. Messi needs to be a key part of a cohesive unit to reach his maximum, with fellow world-class players to bounce off, not a messiah-like figure who is quite literally expected to win games on his own.
Getty/GOALUnfinished business
If the "real lion" is to roar again in 2026, Messi has to return to Europe, or more specifically Barcelona. It's certainly difficult to imagine him representing any other European club, especially after his underwhelming two-year stint at PSG.
There is still a real sense of unfinished business between Barca and Messi, too. La Masia's ultimate academy jewel left Camp Nou without a proper goodbye in 2021 because the Blaugrana couldn't afford to renew his contract after being plunged into an unprecedented financial crisis by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
It was a terribly sad way for Messi's 21-year association with the club to end, not only because the Argentine maestro had smashed the club's all-time scoring record while helping to deliver 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues, but also because he still had so much more to give. There is, though, still time for Barca to put things right.
New reports in Spain have suggested that Joan Laporta, who was elected as Barca president for a second time shortly after Messi's exit, wants to bring the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner back on an initial six-month contract in January. If Messi leaves Miami at the end of the year, Barca can sign him on a free transfer, so it would be a surprise if the possibility hasn't at least been discussed in the club boardroom.
Staying within La Liga's wage limits is still a concern for Barca, but Laporta is said to be willing to move heaven and earth to arrange Messi's homecoming so that it coincides with the full reopening of the renovated Camp Nou.
