Inter Miami players Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba during a fixture. (AP) Inter Miami left-back Jordi Alba announced his retirement from professional football through an Instagram post on Tuesday, prompting an emotional response from teammate Lionel Messi. Alba’s decision comes shortly after midfielder Sergio Busquets also announced his retirement, marking the end of an era for the former Barcelona teammates who reunited at Inter Miami, alongside Messi.Alba made the announcement with a simple message on social media expressing his gratitude to the sport, stating “Thank you, football, thank you so much.”Messi responded to Alba’s retirement announcement with a heartfelt comment acknowledging their long-standing partnership on the field. “Thanks to you, Jordi. I’m going to miss you so much. After so much together, it’s going to be weird to look to the left and not see you there… Crazy how many assists you gave me all these years.. Who’s gonna give me back passes now???” Messi wrote.
Lionel Messi’s comments on Jordi Alba’s Instagram post announcing his retirement from football. (Instagram)
The duo played 413 matches together across their time at Barcelona and Inter Miami, forming a formidable partnership that saw Alba consistently providing assists to Messi from the left flank. Alba provided Messi with 33 assists during their time on the pitch, only Luis Suarez (60), Dani Alves (42), and Andres Iniesta (37) assisted more.Their partnership, which began at Barcelona, continued when they reunited at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where they maintained their on-field chemistry despite being in the latter stages of their careers.Alba had previously shared his motivations for joining Inter Miami in an interview with CBS Sports last year. “I don’t get tired of winning. I want to keep winning, to keep competing. If I did not have that excitement, I would not have come here. I would have stayed in Barcelona, at home, not playing football,” he said.The Spanish defender also explained his decision to join Inter Miami was influenced by the presence of his former teammates. “The opportunity was very attractive. I also wanted to get back with Leo [Messi] and Busi [Sergio Busquets] and now Luis [Suarez] has also come. So these were the incentives that led me to make that decision,” Alba stated.Alba’s career has been marked by significant achievements, including six La Liga titles with Barcelona and a Champions League trophy. While he had initially planned to continue playing until 2027, he has decided to conclude his professional career at the end of the current season.
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