David Beckham Admits Lionel Messi Will Return to Barcelona | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has captivated the world since he debuted for Barcelona, and more specifically fans of Major League Soccer when he signed with Inter Miami. He's already become the club's all-time leading scorer, broken league records and lifted silverware in south Florida.

Though, the man who played a big part in bringing him to the United States, David Beckham, has admitted the future likely lies with arguably the greatest of all time returning to Barcelona when his playing career is over. Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 21, Beckham admitted that Messi has openly talked about returning to Spain.

“I would like Messi to live in Miami when he retires, but Leo told me that he only thinks about living near the Camp Nou. There is no player who loves Barcelona as much as he does. You can see the Barca crest on his leg and even on his water bottle," Beckham said.

When he would return remains up in the air considering Inter Miami's co-owner, Jorge Mas, has openly said he expects Messi to be wearing the number 10 shirt for the Herons when their new stadium opens up in 2026.

Messi, 37-years-old, is entering his third MLS season off the back of winning Most Valuable Player honors. The Argentine also won his second Copa America trophy last summer. Inter Miami is set to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup this year in the United States and there's a FIFA World Cup looming. Given comments from Miami's owners, it would make sense if Messi decided to retire after the 2026 MLS season and return to Spain.