Lionel Messi confirms he won't be joining any club on loan from Inter Miami

Published at :October 19, 2023 at 4:22 AM

Modified at :October 19, 2023 at 4:23 AM

The Argentine has been linked with a loan move to Barcelona

Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and Argentina star has disclosed his post-MLS season goals amid rumours of a probable loan transfer to Barcelona.

Following his deal at Paris Saint-Germain expired in the summer, Messi moved to Inter Miami. In his initial 13 games for the MLS team, he has scored 11 goals.

The 36-year-old led Miami to victory in the first Leagues Cup and assisted them in reaching the U.S. Open Cup final, but he has been sidelined with an injury for five of the club's last six games.

Due to Messi's fitness issues, Tato Martino's team ultimately fell short of securing a berth in the MLS playoffs, and their 2023 campaign will finish after a pair of matches versus Charlotte over the course of four days.

In order to maintain his fitness levels during the MLS off-season, Messi has been rumoured to return to Barcelona on loan, but the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner shut out the prospect after his most recent performance for Argentina.

Upon netting twice for Argentina in a 2-0 World Cup qualifier win against Peru, Messi was asked if he might depart Inter Miami on loan. He responded:

"No. I will train, I will play our upcoming match [against Charlotte FC] and I will try to get here [to the national team] in the best possible way for November."

The World Cup winner added: "After that, I will enjoy the holidays in Argentina. It's the first time that I am going to have more days off in December, with the holidays, with peace of mind, with my people. In January, I will return again to do preseason. Start from scratch and prepare as best as possible as always."

Along with bemoaning the demanding tournament schedule, Messi also expressed his dissatisfaction about Miami's failure to advance to the MLS playoffs.

"It's really a shame. We came very close," he said. "I missed the last few games, we had several injuries. The month of July was very hard for us, we played every three days, we travelled."