Messi’s Inter Miami were eliminated from the MLS Cup by Atlanta in a surprise 3-2 loss at Chase Stadium on Saturday night. After the defeat, Martino admitted that there was a “question of passing time” with the 37-year-old Argentine, but he did not give a deadline for this end.
Martino told reporters: “I don’t really know how limited (Messi’s time in this league) is. It’s a question of time passing, but I wouldn’t dare say that it is so short. If we look at the context in which this started, it seems to me that the progression of the club is important. Comparing the last game of last season, in October, with today’s third game of the playoffs and this bitterness that we all feel for not having progressed, clearly shows that the club’s objectives have been changed and I think that there is no reason why the club cannot continue to try next year. What happened this year, the good and the bad in general, was better than anything that happened last year and I would even say in the entire life of the club.”
Messi, departure mentioned
Messi’s Miami crushed the MLS Eastern Conference during the regular season but fell at the first hurdle in the playoffs against Atlanta. The former FC Barcelona player also had a great season, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists in 24 matches. But this defeat will inevitably raise questions about Messi’s future, with the veteran still having one year left on his contract with the Herons. Nobody knows exactly how much time the former Paris Saint-Germain player has left to play in what has been one of the greatest careers of all time.
Messi will likely be back in action for Argentina when they clash against Paraguay and Peru on November 14 and 20 respectively in their final World Cup qualifying matches. But Miami won’t play again until the 2025 season.
