Sergio Busquets does not close the door to retirement from professional football
The Inter Miami midfielder admits that his career is coming to an end, although he has not yet decided whether he will continue after this season
The future of Sergio Busquets in professional football remains unknown. The Spanish Inter Miami midfielder, who is under contract until the end of the season, admitted Tuesday that he's unclear about what's next in his career and left open the possibility of retirement.
In a press conference prior to the Leagues Cup semifinal against Orlando City, the 37-year-old was direct: "There's nothing official about the renewal or a supposed retirement."
Busquets recalled that when he decided to leave FC Barcelona, ????he already knew he wouldn't be returning to Europe. "When I left Barca, I already knew I wouldn't be returning to Spain or Europe, and I'm also at a certain age. I'm much closer to ending my career than continuing it," he expressed.
Rivalry in Florida and the uncertainty surrounding Messi
Inter Miami is preparing for a high-stakes duel against its neighboring state. It will be the third match of the season against Orlando City, who have so far shown a clear advantage with 3-0 and 4-1 victories. Busquets himself acknowledged that these precedents weigh heavily, but highlighted the home advantage: "I think it's 50/50. It's true that we're playing at home, that's a plus, and it's true that they've beaten us in the last two games." The experienced midfielder insisted that the key will be to avoid repeating mistakes. "We'll have to avoid giving them so many easy chances and be a much stronger team," he said, convinced that the semifinal will require maximum concentration. The winner will face the winner of the Los Angeles Galaxy-Seattle Sounders tie. Beyond Busquets' performance, all eyes are on Lionel Messi. The Argentine hasn't played since his injury suffered on August 2 against Necaxa and has already accumulated four matches out. He did not travel to Washington last weekend as a precaution, although he returned to training with the group on Tuesday.
Javier Morales, Inter Miami technical assistant, He explained that the decision on his participation will be made hours before the match: "Messi completed training, but we'll wait until tomorrow to decide his squad."