By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Lionel Messi says He will not consider his age as a deciding factor in his retirement plans, adding that he has no clear idea of what he will do when that time comes.
Messi, who played for 17 years at Barcelona before signing for Paris St Germain in 2021 and Inter Miami last year, will turn 37 in under three months.
“I know that the moment I feel that I am no longer performing, that I am no longer enjoying it or helping my teammates (I will retire),” Messi told the Big Time podcast in an interview published on Wednesday.
“I am very self-critical. I know when I am doing well, when I am not, when I play well and when I play poorly. When I feel it’s time to take that step, I will do it without thinking about age.
“If I feel good, I will try to continue competing because it’s what I like and what I know how to do.”
Messi’s career was given a major jolt in 2021 when he made his shock move to PSG.
Barcelona was unable to offer him a new contract due to their financial problems.
PSG wasn’t the change Messi was looking for and he now says the hasty change was “difficult”.
The Argentine said: “It was a difficult change when I went to PSG, because I was doing very well at Barcelona and I thought about staying. I wasn’t ready to leave, it all happened very quickly.”
He added: “I had to rebuild my life from one day to the next at PSG.
“I discovered another league, another club, a new locker room. It was difficult at first.”
Messi scored 32 goals in 75 appearances during his two years at PSG.
While with the Parisians he lifted two French league titles – as well as the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
Asked whether he had started to think about what he does next, the record eight-times Ballon D’Or winner had no straight answer.
“I haven’t thought about it yet. For now, I try to enjoy each day, each moment, without thinking about the future. I don’t have anything clear yet,” Messi said.
“I hope to keep playing for a while longer, because that’s what I enjoy. When the time comes, I will surely find the path to what fulfils me and what I like, and a new role.”
Messi missed Argentina’s friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States this month due to a hamstring injury.