Author : Aashiya Jain | EQmint| SPORTS News
As Lionel Messi moves deeper into the final chapter of his playing career, conversations around what comes next have naturally grown louder. For years, fans and pundits have speculated whether the football icon would step into coaching, management, or some ambassadorial role once he hangs up his boots. Now, Messi himself has offered a rare and candid glimpse into his post-retirement thinking and his answer may surprise many.
In a recent interview with Luzu TV, recorded in December and aired in the United States this week, the 38-year-old football legend made it clear that coaching is not where he sees his future. Instead, Lionel appears drawn to something far more structural and long-term: owning a football club and building it from the ground up.
“I don’t see myself as a coach. I like management, but if I have to decide for one of the three I would like to be a (club) owner. I would like to have my own football club, to be able to grow it, to start from the bottom and to be able to give the kids, the people, the opportunity to grow and make it an important club. If I had to choose, that’s what would appeal to me most,” Messi said, as quoted by AP in an interview with Luzu TV streaming channel. The interview with Messi was recorded in December but aired in the USA on Tuesday.
These words offer a refreshing and deeply human perspective from a player often viewed as almost mythical in his footballing ability. Rather than positioning himself as a touchline tactician or dressing-room motivator, Messi is imagining a future where he shapes football ecosystems, not just matchday tactics.
Why Coaching Doesn’t Appeal to Messi
For many legendary players, coaching feels like a natural progression. Names like Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, and Xavi Hernandez have all transitioned from elite playing careers into successful coaching roles. Messi, however, has always been different not just in how he plays, but in how he approaches football itself.
Throughout his career, Messi has been known as a player who lets the ball do the talking. He leads through performance rather than instruction, through instinct rather than analysis. Coaching, by contrast, demands constant communication, confrontation, and tactical explanation areas that may not align with Messi’s reserved personality.
By openly stating that he doesn’t see himself as a coach, Messi is acknowledging something many elite athletes quietly feel: excellence on the pitch does not automatically translate into enjoyment on the sidelines.
A Vision Bigger Than the Dugout
What truly stands out in Messi’s comments is his desire to build, not just to oversee. His interest in club ownership is rooted in development, opportunity, and long-term impact.
He speaks about starting “from the bottom,” about giving “kids” and communities a chance to grow. This echoes Messi’s own journey from a young boy in Rosario to a teenager who left Argentina for Spain in search of opportunity at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.
That personal history appears to shape his thinking. Rather than inheriting a finished product, Messi seems inspired by the idea of creating pathways, nurturing talent, and watching a club evolve organically over time.
Timing the Transition
The interview, recorded late last year and aired recently, comes at a moment when Messi’s career is entering its twilight phase. Now playing in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, he has already begun expanding his influence beyond the pitch.
Inter Miami’s transformation since his arrival commercially, competitively, and culturally offers a glimpse of what Messi’s football intelligence can do at an institutional level. While he is not an owner there, his presence alone has reshaped the club’s identity, fan base, and global reach.
It’s not difficult to imagine Messi taking a more formal role in football ownership once his playing days conclude.
Still Focused on the Present
Despite the speculation, Messi remains firmly grounded in the present. He has repeatedly avoided setting a retirement timeline, choosing instead to enjoy football while his body and motivation allow.
That balance staying focused on today while quietly imagining tomorrow feels very “Messi.” There is no rush, no dramatic announcement, just thoughtful reflection.
A Legacy Beyond Goals
If Lionel Messi does become a club owner one day, it would mark yet another evolution of his football legacy. Not just as the man who scored goals that defied physics, but as someone who helped create opportunity, nurture talent, and build institutions that outlast individual brilliance.
For a player who has already won everything there is to win, perhaps this is the ultimate challenge not to teach football from the sidelines, but to shape its future from the foundations up.
And in true Messi fashion, even his retirement plans feel quietly ambitious.
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Resource Link : IndiaExpress
