Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South) – Lionel Messi will retire at Barcelona, Luis Garcia has said amid doubts over the Argentine superstar’s future.
He is the their all-time leading goalscorer and the face of the club but Messi is no certainty to prolong his time at Camp Nou, with his contract due to expire in 2018.
Barca have insisted a new deal remains on course for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who joined the La Liga giants as a 13-year-old.
The uncertainty will only grow the longer Messi’s contract situation remains unresolved but Garcia – who emerged from Barcelona’s youth system in 1998 before returning in 2003 – cannot see him playing for another club aside from boyhood side Newell’s Old Boys.
Speaking to Omnisport, Garcia – who is in Australia working for Optus during their Confederations Cup coverage – said: “I don’t think he will leave. I think he is happy there.
“Of course sometimes he has to look after himself and his family. I’m sure he is very happy at Barcelona. Barca know how important he is for the club. They will arrive at an agreement. I don’t see him playing for another club.
“He has been the face of Barcelona for many years. I think he will retire at Barca. He might finish his international career earlier and maybe go back to his former club [Newell’s Old Boys] in a totally different way.”
Saturday marked Messi’s 30th birthday and he has shown no signs of slowing down – remaining the driving force behind Barca’s success.
Since making his Barca debut at the tender age of 17 in October 2004, Messi has gone on to guide the Catalans to 29 trophies, including eight LaLiga titles and four Champions League crowns.
He has netted 507 goals in all competitions – 349 of those in LaLiga – having netted 54 in 2016-17.
Messi is also the only La Liga player to reach 40 goals in each of his last eight seasons in all competitions, firmly staking his claim as the greatest of all time.
Asked what makes Messi so good in an era that also includes four-time Ballon d’Or winner and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Garcia replied: “He makes football very easy. The most difficult thing is to do things the easy way. It looks so easy when he does it.
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