Messi eyes perfect finale for Busquets, Alba

Lionel Messi said he hopes Inter Miami can give Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba the farewell they deserve when the pair play the final match of their careers in the MLS Cup title game against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The midfielder and fullback will retire after the final at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, closing out decorated careers alongside their former Barcelona teammate.

Inter Miami's Jordi Alba (L) vies with Nawaf Boushal of Al-Nassr during the friendly football match between Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr FC and the US Inter Miami CF at the Kingdom Arena Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)

"It would be very nice for me, for them, for everyone, wouldn't it?," Messi told the official MLS website on Thursday. "May they finish their careers with a title and in the best possible way."

The three came together at Miami in 2023, with Messi joining from Paris Saint-Germain and Busquets and Alba arriving after their exits from Barcelona.

"I think it would be very, very, very positive and a very nice memory for them to retire with one more joy in the great careers they both have had, with all the titles they both won," the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup winner said.

"To add one more and retire with a good taste in their mouth and say goodbye to the United States with a title? It would be something very special."

Messi said Miami expects a demanding final against a Vancouver side that beat the Florida outfit twice in April to eliminate it from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Since then the Canadian side has strengthened its squad with the arrival of Bayern Munich great and 2014 World Cup winner Thomas Muller in August.

"We have already faced Vancouver, and we know what kind of team they are," Messi said. "In fact, they eliminated us. It was also a very consistent team throughout the year that finished among the top sides and competed in all competitions until the end, just as we did."

"We know it's going to be a very, very tough game, and the addition of Müller coming to that team makes them much better still. It brings more awareness to the game, to the team, and it will be a very, very special final, which we hope will be in our favor."

He added: "It is very nice that he has come to play in MLS and the repercussions that this represents. It's good that this final came to be and that we can face each other again."

While Busquets and Alba are preparing to bow out, Messi has given no indication that he is about to retire. The 38-year-old Argentina captain showed enthusiasm at the prospect of taking part in next year's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, where the Albiceleste will attempt to defend the title it won in Qatar in 2022.

He said he had observed a growing football culture in North America, adding that it bodes well for the World Cup, which will run from June 11 to July 19.

"In the last few years, there has been a growth and an important change in the number of fans of the game, who like to enjoy the show, who are also passionate, who have a lot of passion for their teams, where soccer is truly consumed above all else," he said of the MLS.

"Mexico has always had a great league that also has a lot of great teams within its league in terms of player quality, financially, and that will be very enjoyable."

"Both I and the people, I believe, expect something extraordinary because [in the U.S.] they are used to doing big events, and this is the most important event in soccer, and I believe that they are going to be up to the task so that people can come and enjoy everything."