At 39 years old, Lionel Messi is approaching the final chapter of a career that has produced every honour the game can offer. With Argentina either defending or relinquishing their World Cup title this week, the question on every fan's lips is the same: does the greatest player of all time walk away from football once the tournament is over?

The Inter Miami contract factor

Retirement may not be Messi's immediate priority — at least not if his contract situation is any guide. His previous deal with Inter Miami was due to expire at the end of 2025, yet Messi chose to sign a new three-year extension rather than step away from the game.

That extension keeps him under contract until he is 41 years old. In the absence of any firm statement from Messi himself, that commitment is the clearest signal available that he intends to keep playing beyond this World Cup.

Financial stakes are enormous

According to Forbes, Messi ranks as the third highest-paid athlete on the planet. While not all of that income stems from his playing contract at Inter Miami, his commercial value remains dramatically higher while he is still an active footballer — a reality that complicates any straightforward retirement calculation.

When he originally moved to Florida, it was reported that Messi's arrangement included a share of revenue generated through MLS's media partnership with Apple. He is also believed to be in line for an ownership stake in Inter Miami upon retirement, under the terms of his initial move to the club.

Key questions remain unanswered

The precise details of the ownership arrangement are still unclear. It is not known what percentage Messi stands to receive, whether it would be granted automatically or made available as an option, or whether he would need to pay for the stake. Crucially, it is also uncertain whether choosing to retire early — before his current contract runs its course — would affect his entitlement under those terms.

The extension he signed in 2025 may have altered some or all of those original clauses, but no detailed breakdown of the new deal has been made public.

Only Messi knows

For now, the answer lies with Messi alone — and even his own thinking may shift depending on how this World Cup concludes. He will be 42 by the time the next edition of the tournament arrives. Whether Argentina lift the trophy or not, the world will be watching to see if this week marks the end of football's greatest era.