Staff Reporter

Lionel Messi has maintained his outstanding form in club football despite announcing his retirement from the Argentina national team. In his last 12 matches for Inter Miami, he has scored nine goals and provided six assists. His statistics have once again raised the question of whether Messi truly had nothing more to offer in the national team jersey.

In a social media post on August 31, Messi said, “I have given everything I had. There is nothing more to give.” Supporters interpreted his remarks as a hint of his departure from the national team. Messi was 39 at the time of the announcement. His decision was also viewed as an attempt to make room for the next generation after winning all the major titles available in international football.

However, his performances in club football since the announcement have sparked fresh debate over that decision. Since August 31, the Argentine captain has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 12 matches for Inter Miami. Including his final appearance for Argentina against Benin on October 7, his overall tally stands at nine goals and eight assists in 12 matches.

On the other hand, in his final 12 club matches before announcing his retirement, Messi scored 11 goals and provided nine assists. In other words, there has been no significant difference in his performances before and after announcing his departure from the national team.

Messi also delivered an impressive performance at the World Cup. He scored eight goals in eight matches to guide Argentina to the final. However, he failed to deliver the performance expected of him in the final, where Argentina lost to Spain. The report also noted that personal and family bereavements had influenced his decision.

Overall, although Messi has announced his departure from the national team, his recent performances in club football show that he still retains his ability to score goals and create scoring opportunities for his teammates.