NFL Tickets
In the least surprising headline in weeks, Lionel Messi has revealed he wants to retire at Barcelona. The non-news was made in a recent interview in which Messi claimed he’d only end his career at Barca or back home in Argentina.
“I’d never play for another European club,” Messi told France Football. “Barcelona is my home and I want to retire here.”
The comments come after months of speculation that several Premier League clubs have been mulling the hiring of a cargo ship on which to transport the tons of money required to bring the world’s best player to England. In case anyone dreamed this was ever possible, it wasn’t. Messi was never coming to Manchester or London for anything but a Champions League date.
And really, why would he? Yes, he’d make more money in a transfer, but the man is already the second-best paid player in the sport with massive endorsements to boot. And he is sure to once again get a raise before this contract expires in 2018. How much more could he really earn elsewhere? Or, more importantly, how much more would it take to make a transfer worth his while?
Because no other club could offer him the supporting cast he finds in the Catalan capital. At the moment, he’s surrounded by arguably the third and fourth-best players in the world in Neymar and Luis Suarez. He still has the marvel Iniesta behind him. Only Real Madrid and Bayern Munich come close to that wealth of genius and the latter isn’t biting while the former is right out.
Even if an English team could lure that type of quality (perhaps along with Pep Guardiola), the intensity of play offers another negative against the league. Messi is stronger than his size suggests, but in England, soccer often gets a little confused with rugby. The tackles are harder and more frequent, the pushing and pulling much more intense. For a man already starting to feel the strain in his knees, moving to the most physical league in Europe isn’t going to do him any favors.
And then, what if he fails? Not really fails, mind you, but what if Messi isn’t quite as impressive once away from that fabulous team and that two- (or possibly three-) team league. His performances on the international stage have always been good but rarely up to his ludicrously high standards, that undeserved Golden Ball in Brazil aside. Is Messi certain that he’ll maintain his quality at a team like Chelsea, where former teammate Pedro looks half the player he was? What does that do to his legacy?
And this is the real reason Messi will never go. At this point, already rich and feted with trophies and awards, the little Argentine must have at least half an eye on his legacy in the game. Dollars, pounds and euros aside, he can only lose by looking elsewhere. If he goes, only a failure to meet expectations awaits him. If he stays, he has the chance to be like all the other greatest of the greats: the symbol of an entire club.
Ryan Giggs’ name is now so hallowed at Manchester United he may get a crack at management for no other reason than his loyalty. Franz Beckenbauer is a similar figure for Bayern Munich, as is Pele at Santos. Of course, both of those players did play elsewhere in their last few years, but crucially, they never became a rival to their former team. The same goes for Messi. Retiring in Argentina won’t dampen the support or admiration for him, but a successful switch to, say, Manchester City?
Once recent scandals blow over, this era of Barcelona soccer will go down as one of the greatest of all time. And the name at the head of every hagiographic history will be Lionel Messi. In the end, that could be what elevates him above Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo seems relatively likely to make a switch in the next season or two (assuming Madrid’s ban can be gotten around), leaving him more a nomadic genius like Diego Maradona than a singular symbol like Pele. Ask any fan who in their hearts is the better player of those two. Messi will always be remembered for his skill, but by staying Barca, he becomes something more, a name as big as one of the great clubs. For that reason alone, EPL clubs can forget ever signing him.
Share 
