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Inter Miami coach gets brutally honest on Lionel Messi’s future after stunning playoff loss

Originally posted on Soccer on ClutchPoints
By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Nov 10, 2024 11:45 AM ET

In just the first round of the 2024 MLS Playoffs, the league was dealt a shock when Inter Miami was upset by Atlanta United in their first-round matchup. Despite Lionel Messi’s best efforts to save his team, it wasn’t enough, as his club suffered an unexpected 3-2 defeat, despite the fact they entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

With the loss, a season full of promise and championship expectations for Inter Miami has come to an end, and it will ultimately go down as a season where the club wasted a year of having Messi at their disposal. After the game, head coach Gerardo Martino kept it real when discussing Messi’s future with the team.

“I actually don’t know how limited [Messi’s time in this league] is. There is a question of time passing, but I would not dare to say that it is so short. If you look at the context in which this began, it seems to me that the progress of the club is important. The comparison of the last game of last season, back in October, with today’s third game in the playoffs and this bitterness that we all have for not having progressed, is clear that the club’s objectives have been modified and I think there is no reason for the club not to continue trying next year.” – Gerardo Martino, ESPN

Inter Miami running out of time to win with Lionel Messi

Inter Miami FC forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts in the second half against the Atlanta United FC in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Messi is already 37 years old, and while he is still playing at an incredibly high level, there’s no doubt that he’s approaching the end of his career. Whether or not he wants to finish his career with Inter Miami or move to another team remains to be seen as well, so it’s fair to wonder what his future with the club will end up being after this disappointing loss.

It was another great campaign for the Argentinian superstar, as he scored 20 goals while dishing out 11 assists in just 19 games of action, which shows just how dominant he was against the competition in the MLS. However, this loss has raised serious questions about what the future holds for him, and it will be interesting to see what ends up happening over the next few months between him and Inter Miami.

This article first appeared on Soccer on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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