{"id":2182143,"date":"2026-10-06T05:39:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T02:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2182143"},"modified":"2026-10-06T05:39:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T02:39:49","slug":"lionel-messi-last-match-argentina-legend-has-big-plans-for-the-future-as-golden-era-ends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2182143","title":{"rendered":"Lionel Messi last match: Argentina legend has big plans for the future as golden era ends"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/branded_sport\/1200\/cpsprodpb\/736a\/live\/3de6acd0-c0b4-11f1-837f-5ba27a94daa8.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"ssrcss-2fe4mx-ArticleWrapper e1nh2i2l0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<header data-testid=\"headline\">\n<h1 id=\"main-heading\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-8zqj65-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">Owner, businessman &amp; player: Messi has big plans as a golden era ends<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1k00vp6-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/ec37\/live\/7b53a5a0-b561-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/ec37\/live\/7b53a5a0-b561-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/ec37\/live\/7b53a5a0-b561-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/ec37\/live\/7b53a5a0-b561-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/ec37\/live\/7b53a5a0-b561-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/976\/cpsprodpb\/ec37\/live\/7b53a5a0-b561-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.png.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"single-byline\" class=\"ssrcss-sevsa1-ContributorContainer ee66fvo3\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dt4z-ContributorInfo ee66fvo0\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-nsjd43-TextContributorName epw3ir01\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1q14p6q-LinkWithChevronContainer epw3ir02\"><span class=\"byline-link-text\">Guillem Balague<\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dqo7s5-ContributorDetails ee66fvo2\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\">BBC Sport Columnist<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-10-06T05:39:49.307Z\">6 October 2026, 06:39 BST<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b>Lionel Messi is about to play his last match for Argentina.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">On what will be his 208th appearance, the country&#8217;s most-capped player and record goalscorer will bid an emotional farewell in a friendly against Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires on Tuesday (Wednesday 00:00 BST).<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Arguably Argentina&#8217;s greatest ever player &#8211; only Diego Maradona comes close &#8211;  announced his retirement from the national team on 31 August, six weeks after the World Cup final defeat by Spain, saying he had nothing more to give. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Coach Lionel Scaloni insists that if Messi ever wants to carry on, he can, and there is no embarrassment in changing one&#8217;s mind. But that chapter seems closed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">His club career though goes on. The contract with Inter Miami runs to the end of the 2028 season, but it is reviewed year by year, and nobody close to him expects him to walk away a day before he has to. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In fact, it is quite likely he will renew it if he feels, mentally and physically, up for it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ask the people around him what comes after that and they smile, because Messi has never really planned beyond his next game. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Even so, the shape of what lies ahead is already in front of us. He will stay inside football, because he would struggle to live without it, but his other business interests stretch far outside the game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"links\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-94r6ik-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Messi retires from Argentina duty with &#8216;nothing left to give&#8217;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">31 August<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">How Messi&#8217;s decade of dominance almost never happened<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">31 August<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1q53uey-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/f8c1\/live\/032680d0-c0b3-11f1-b026-53d1506ee826.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/320\/cpsprodpb\/f8c1\/live\/032680d0-c0b3-11f1-b026-53d1506ee826.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/f8c1\/live\/032680d0-c0b3-11f1-b026-53d1506ee826.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/cpsprodpb\/f8c1\/live\/032680d0-c0b3-11f1-b026-53d1506ee826.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/800\/cpsprodpb\/f8c1\/live\/032680d0-c0b3-11f1-b026-53d1506ee826.jpg.webp 800w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Lionel Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"An-owner-who-wants-to-be-involved-in-everything\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">An owner who wants to be involved in everything<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Messi used to like the idea of being a sporting director or an adviser to the president, close to the decisions without all the travelling and the phone calls. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">And asked recently whether he would rather be a coach or an owner, Messi chose owner. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A coach lives and dies by every Saturday and has to worry about far too many things for Messi&#8217;s liking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">An owner shapes the direction of a club from a little further back. Having said that, he would be an owner who does not stop at approving the appointment of a manager and stepping away. He would want to be involved in everything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The groundwork is being laid in Spain. UE Cornella, on the edge of Barcelona and in the fifth tier, is the nursery where young players grow. He bought it in April. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">CD Eldense, in the second division, announced Messi as its new owner on 1 October, subject to authorisation from the Spanish sports council, the CSD. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Eldense will be the club that leads his football operation, but the target this season is not to get relegated, so former Villarreal boss Javi Calleja got the job with the arrival of the new owner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The plan is to run both through people he trusts, who will act as a link between Messi and the clubs until the day he can give them his full attention. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For now he follows every Eldense match closely on his computer. After Eldense beat Real Oviedo by four goals to one, his first message as owner was an Instagram post that read &#8220;Aupa Deportivo&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The pull of his name has been felt as well. Around a dozen sponsors came forward within a couple of days, some of them brands that had been talking to the previous owners without ever closing a deal, and some that already have a relationship with him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In Uruguay he and Luis Suarez founded Deportivo LSM in May 2025, and they won promotion to the country&#8217;s third tier in its first season. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A network of more clubs was discussed at the start. But the sums needed to lift them up the divisions have cooled that idea quickly, and it is not on the table today. Messi&#8217;s focus is to see whether Eldense can establish itself in La Liga.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">There is a link to Miami as well. As part of his contract with Inter Miami, he will have some shares in the club when he retires. A franchise of his own is not part of the plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Could he go home to Newell&#8217;s Old Boys, the club where he played as a child in Rosario? The idea has never been formally discussed. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It may have crossed his mind while drinking mate with Suarez, in the way a return to Barcelona or a spell at Napoli, the club of Maradona, might have. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Nobody close to the player expects it though. Everything is built around Europe and Miami, and the perfect home is waiting for the family in Castelldefels, close to the sea and Barcelona.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"links\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-94r6ik-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Rivals: Messi v Ronaldo<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">A rivalry that changed football<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">5 June<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0s6gx-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Goals, records, tears &#8230; Messi&#8217;s most iconic moments<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">31 August<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"A-growing-business-empire-and-love-for-youth-football\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">A growing business empire and love for youth football<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Newell&#8217;s will still be close, because the club is one of the sixteen academies at this year&#8217;s Messi Cup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">If owning clubs is one love, youth football is the other, and his regular presence at his son&#8217;s games and the Messi Cup are the proof. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He puts his money and his time into a tournament for Under-16 academies, which began in 2025 with eight teams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Last year, the organisers expected him to come to one or two games, perhaps only the final, but to everyone&#8217;s surprise, he sat through every match on every day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This year the teams doubled to 16, from 25 October at Inter Miami&#8217;s facilities in Florida, including Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal, UE Cornella, and others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Away from the pitch, Messi has built a portfolio that helps explain why Forbes put his net worth at about $1.1bn<span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">, external<\/span> in June, with earnings of around $140m over the previous year split between football and business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">His best known endorsement is the lifetime Adidas deal he signed in 2017. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The most visible piece is MiM Hotels, six boutique properties from Ibiza to Andorra, which Melia has run under a rental agreement since 1 November 2025. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">MiM takes its name from Messi and the Majestic hotel group, and runs the hotels inside its Melia Collection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In Rosario, his family firm invests in Carrasco M, a development of 24 homes by the Parana river, with \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda&#8217;s property agency handling the sales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He is also a partner in the restaurant chain El Club de la Milanesa which plans to open five branches in Catalonia, the first in Castelldefels. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He has a mate collection with the drinkware giants Stanley, the brand&#8217;s first multi-year deal with an athlete, and he gave his opinion on materials and colours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The business side began with his father. Jorge Messi, who died in August aged 68, looked after his son&#8217;s affairs from the start, and some of his early advice led the family into trouble with the tax authorities in Spain. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The company then grew into branches for TV production, marketing, media and commercial partnerships, among others, all well established by the time Jorge fell seriously ill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Messi trusts the people who run them, some of them with him since his early days at Barcelona, and a thorough filter means he only gets offered and chooses what he is comfortable with. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He sets his own relationship with the business world, and nobody imposes anything on him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In Miami last November, Messi told the America Business Forum: &#8220;Business is something that interests me. I would like to keep learning because I know nothing and I am just starting out.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The portfolio his circle has prepared is already impressive while he finds more football targets to keep the flame alive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li>European Football<\/li>\n<li>Football<\/li>\n<li>Argentina<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"promoList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">More on this story<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ssrcss-1ughxsy-List e880cno1\">\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1iahvul-PromoCompact e18gnqux0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-6bmydz-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/articles\/cwly3lpmyye9o&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/branded_sport\/1200\/cpsprodpb\/736a\/live\/3de6acd0-c0b4-11f1-837f-5ba27a94daa8.jpg&#8221;] Owner, businessman &amp; player: Messi has big plans as a golden era ends By Guillem Balague BBC Sport Columnist Published 6 October 2026, 06:39 BST Lionel Messi is about to play his last match for Argentina. On what will be his 208th appearance, the country&#8217;s most-capped player and record goalscorer will bid [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[35,226],"class_list":["post-2182143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-bbc-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2182143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182143\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2182143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2182143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2182143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}