As Inter Miami embark on their physical training ahead of the demanding 2025 season, Lionel Messi is poised to once again lead the team. Entering his third year at the club, the Argentine’s influence remains undeniable. One of his teammates, Federico Redondo, recently shared insights into the quality that sets Messi apart from other soccer greats.
In an interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Redondo spoke candidly about his first few months playing alongside Messi. When asked about the 37-year-old superstar’s drive to keep winning, he emphasized: “That’s the great quality that makes him the best player in history.”
Redondo continued, elaborating on what makes Messi unique: “There are thousands of talented players, although none as talented as him, in my opinion. But beyond his talent, he is a player who has won absolutely everything—and more than once. You see him in training, and he plays his heart out; he wants to win everything. Every game of the season, he wants to win it. And if he doesn’t win, he suffers. That, I believe, is key: he’s won everything because he suffers so much from losing.”
The midfielder, who joined Inter Miami nearly a year ago at the start of the 2024 MLS season, has quickly become a regular in the starting lineup. He now plays alongside soccer legends like Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez—players he admired from a young age.
“Leo, Busi, Jordi, and Lucho have always inspired admiration in me as a soccer fan,” Redondo said. “Now, up close, that admiration only grows every day. They have a simplicity, a human quality, and a humility that make them even more admirable. Not everyone possesses those qualities.”
Federico Redondo #55 of Inter Miami CF in action in the first half against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
Messi’s simplicity on and off the field
Federico Redondo also shed light on Messi’s two sides: as a player and as a person. Regarding Lionel’s on-field attributes, he said: “It’s easy to play with Leo. He makes everything easier for you: if you’re in a hurry, you give him the ball, and he solves it. If there are opponents nearby, it doesn’t matter—he still solves it… Every time you’re in trouble, he helps you. He rescues you.”
Off the field, Redondo highlighted Messi’s down-to-earth nature: “You notice his simplicity. He treats you like one of the team. He sits down to drink mate with us, he converses with us… he has a human quality that is hard to explain. Given the size of his figure, people might imagine otherwise.”
Can Messi play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
When asked about Messi’s future, particularly with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, Redondo was cautiously optimistic. “I’m not going to speak for him… but watching him train every day, I think he could play until he’s 45,” he said.
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“He has unmatched technique and is still doing things that we’ve never seen anyone else do.” With Messi set to turn 39 by the time of the next World Cup, Redondo’s positive outlook on his ability to continue at the highest level is encouraging.