Lionel Messi has grown in stature since his professional debut in 2004. Now, into the 20th year of his illustrious career, the Argentine talked about the twilight of his career in the latest episode of his docuseries – Messi Meets America.
The Argentine won the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the end of last year and later moved away from Europe with a move to Inter Miami in MLS in the summer of 2023. The chronology of the events was indicative that the Argentine was slowly moving toward the end of his career.
Messi addressed the situation in the latest episode of his docuseries. Driving around the city of Miami, Messi commented about his passion for the sport: “I am lucky, I can do something, I am passionate about that I love, And I try to enjoy it every time, I enter the field.”
The 2023 Ballon d’Or winner emotionally addressed his retirement by adding: “I know these are my last years and I know that when I don’t have this, I’m going to miss it dearly. Because no matter how many things I find to do, nothing is going to be like this, which I did all my life.”
🗣 Lionel Messi: “I know these are my last years and I know that when I don’t have this, I’m going to miss it dearly. Because no matter how many things I find to do, nothing is going to be like this, which I did all my life.”pic.twitter.com/XGuYAJgkpa
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) November 4, 2023
The Argentine has been playing the sport since he was a little kid. He was born into a soccer-loving family, which helped him shape his love for the sport. Messi moved to Barcelona, Spain with his father back in 2000, when he was just 13 years old, to progress in his career.
Lionel Messi has one of the most illustrious careers of any sports athlete as he prepares to bid farewell to the game in the coming years. There are many speculations about his retirement plans including his participation in the 2026 World Cup but nothing is confirmed.
Docuseries of Lionel Messi Receives Backlash from Rolling Stones
The first three episodes of the docuseries – Messi Meets America – were released on Apple TV last month. Since then, one more episode has been released on the platform, which drew mixed reviews from online fans.
Apart from the online fans, Rolling Stones came out to slam the docuseries as a marketing gimmick. As per the article, the series didn’t provide more limelight on the life of Lionel Messi and his journey that got him to Inter Miami. The first impressions of the first three episodes felt like a marketing gimmick.
Furthermore, Messi’s teammates and the coach, Tata Martino, are at the center of the story more than the Argentine superstar. The first three episodes contain a few insights from Messi about his matches with Inter Miami. It also lacks any fly-on-the-wall scenes, as well as amazing B-rolls.
The attempt from Apple felt like one big marketing stunt to recoup its investment. Last year, they paid $2.5 billion to MLS, for exclusive broadcasting rights for a decade. However, it is to be noted that the article focused on the first three episodes of the series. There are three more episodes in the docuseries, two of which are yet to be released.
It is highly possible that the next three episodes will improve the overall quality of the series. However, the first three episodes have failed to leave a lasting impact on the views and critics. The finale of the series is set to be released before the end of the year.