Why I'm leaving Messi — Jordi Alba opens up on retirement decision

Inter Miami defender Jordi Alba shocked the football world earlier this week by announcing his sudden retirement, despite having signed a contract extension through 2027 just this past May.

The 36-year-old World Cup winner will officially step away at the end of the current MLS season, joining longtime teammate Sergio Busquets in hanging up his boots.

The decision is a significant U-turn for the former Barcelona star, and he admitted to reporters on Friday that it wasn't easy.

“It’s true that I renewed my contract in May, but the conversations were much earlier, and well, maybe it’s true that the time in May, now October, hasn’t been long, but it’s a decision I’ve been meditating on, that I’ve been making over time.”

Alba, who told the club and his teammates weeks ago, insisted the decision was made after careful thought, not due to his physical condition:

“Obviously, I’m still physically fine, but I’ve weighed everything up and I think it’s the most honest, the fairest, and it’s also a decision that I made alone. Well, it changed, just like you, because any human being changes their mind from one day to the next.”

The left back arrived at Inter Miami in 2023, reuniting with Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi, a group later completed by Luis Suárez in 2024.

During his time in Miami, Alba was instrumental in helping the team secure the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, the latter setting a new MLS regular season record with 74 points.

The ex-Barcelona man recorded 14 goals and 28 assists in 95 appearances for the club.