Messi’s potential Inter Miami exit to fulfill personal dream, discussed by former teammate Di Maria

This week, Angel Di Maria was officially unveiled as a new player for Rosario Central, the club where he began his professional career in 2005. Upon finalizing his return to Argentina, the winger spoke about the possibility of Lionel Messi leaving Inter Miami and following a similar path.

“I spoke with Leo Messi,” Di Maria revealed during his introductory press conference at his new club. “He wrote to me recently, he let a bit of time pass because it was normal—with everything going on, my phone was blowing up—and he texted me the next day.”

Regarding the content of that exchange, Angel explained: “He congratulated me and wished me the best. He told me he was happy that I was able to fulfill my dream because we talked a lot, and he knew that my family’s wish was complete, so he was very happy.”

Messi and Di Maria have much in common. They were teammates with the Argentina national team for over 15 years and also played together for one season at Paris Saint-Germain. But that’s not the only connection between them: both are from the same city, Rosario, and came up through rival clubs—Newell’s Old Boys and Rosario Central.

Ángel Di María poses for pictures holding a ball and wearing his Rosario Central jersey during his unveiling as new player of Rosario Central

With Di Maria’s return to Central now confirmed, he was asked about the possibility of Messi doing the same at Newell’s. “These are personal decisions. Everyone chooses what’s best for their family, and you don’t want to interfere in someone else’s life,” said the former Real Madrid star. Still, he did suggest that returning to Argentina is a goal for Messi: “If he has the chance to fulfill his dream, then welcome it. He’s a friend, and I care about him a lot.”

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Messi and Di Maria playing together

The strong relationship between Messi and Di Maria has grown over the years. Their first major experience together came with Argentina’s U-23 team, when they won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That was followed by a string of disappointments in major tournaments, which made them targets of heavy criticism for years.

Leo and Angel also played together in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups, where Argentina failed to capture the title. The same happened in the Copa America tournaments of 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2019. However, everything changed with their Copa America victory in 2021. From there, they followed a successful run with the 2021 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America.

Uncertainty surrounding Messi’s future

It’s no coincidence that speculation around Lionel Messi’s future is surfacing now. The forward is under contract with Inter Miami until December 31, and under FIFA regulations, he is free to negotiate with any club worldwide starting July 1, as he has less than six months remaining on his deal.

While Inter Miami executives have expressed optimism about reaching a contract extension, the slow pace of negotiations has raised some concerns. There have even been rumors suggesting Messi may leave Inter Miami temporarily to compete in a stronger league ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.