Jordi Alba said Lionel Messi was unhappy with the latter’s controversial and well-documented Barcelona exit.
Sunday’s MLS Cup conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati could be the last game the Spaniard plays in his career. Alba and Messi both hope the former hangs up his boots after lifting one more trophy together on Dec. 6.
Alba and Messi have played together for over 12 years across Barcelona and Inter Miami. While the two had different journeys back to each other in south Florida, the left back revealed Messi’s exit from Catalonia still bothers him.
“He didn’t like his departure.” Alba told AS. “Leo wants a tribute, and I hope it happens. He deserves it, and I think it will. It will be a wonderful celebration. Everyone is waiting for that moment.”
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Lionel Messi - Jordi Alba.
Lionel Messi (right) will play without Jordi Alba (left) next season. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
“I see him with even more competitive drive,” Alba added. “He seems very happy here. I don’t know if he’ll stay here for two or three more years ... It’s a privilege to have been able to share my career with them here.”
Alba and Sergio Busquets will retire whenever their playoff run ends, but Messi recently signed an extension through the 2028 MLS season keeping him in the league until he’s 41. The Argentine will also serve as the face of Miami’s new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, next season.
The left back said he will return to Barcelona after retirement. But, he won’t sneak into the newly renovated Camp Nou, as Messi did in a recent trip back to Catalonia while with the Argentina national team.
“Messi is the best in history. It’s normal that he has the key to Camp Nou. I’ll go see him with my family, for the matches they play and enjoy it in other ways,” Alba said. “It’s a pleasure to have had the good fortune to share so much time with [Messi] on and off the pitch.
Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi (right) will lose two of his closest teammates after the playoffs. / Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images
Alba has been with Inter Miami since 2023. A change in scenery benefitted the Spaniard in the twilight of his career.
“Life is more relaxed here,” Alba said to AS. “The media attention is less intense than in the U.S., but I’m very happy with the experience. I don’t have much time left ... It’s different living here. Although I’m sure I’ll miss things, living a more relaxed life in terms of my sporting career was one of the reasons I came here.”
Alba believes he could have kept playing for a few more seasons—he signed a two-year extension in May—yet he changed his mind late in the campaign.
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“I still enjoy the matches,” Alba said. “But it’s difficult in my day-to-day life. It’s more about sharing with my teammates or the staff, but that enthusiasm you have at 20 years old gradually fades.”
Should Miami advance past FC Cincinnati, they would face one of the Philadelphia Union or New York City FC in the Eastern Conference final. If they were to advance all the way to the final, Miami could face Son Heung-min’s LAFC or Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps.
“Cincinnati finished second and we finished third in the regular season. It’s a final. Here you never know when the last game will be,” Alba added. “It’s a strange feeling. Hopefully we can advance and play in that final, and then play the [MLS Cup] final against the other conference.”
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