Lionel Messi open to career in coaching after retirement

Lionel Messi has spoken about his plans after the end of his playing career, as he approaches the final years of his career in the professional game.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is at Paris Saint-Germain and still performing at the highest level, having scored eight and assisted eight across 13 matches for the French club this season.

There have been rumours of a return to Barcelona for the Argentine, and he will decide the future of his club career after the World Cup this winter in Qatar.

He has also been talking about a career in coaching after the end of his playing career and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of spending time on the touchline.

Messi doesn't rule out coaching career

Speaking journalist Sebastian Vignolo, he spoke about his future following the end of his career and referred to Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane as an example.

“I don’t really intend to be a coach," Messi said. "But Zidane said exactly that and after that, he became a coach and won the Champions League three times.

“I would like to be the sporting director of a club, to build a team, to accompany the coaches, but I’m not sure about that," the Argentine legend admitted.

He also spoke about the upcoming World Cup, and that it could be his last World Cup with the Argentine national team.

He has played in four World Cups with Argentina, with the first coming in 2006, and the closest he came to winning was in 2014, when they lost to Germany.

"I'm counting down the days until the World Cup," Messi said. "The truth is, there's a little anxiety, saying: 'Well, we're here, what's going to happen? It's my last one, how's it going to go?'.

“On one hand, I can't wait for it to arrive but I'm also desperate for it to go well," he added, and he is confident having won the Copa America in 2021.