Meanwhile, Iniesta, who scored the World Cup-winning goal for Spain in 2010, decided to hang his boots on October 8 – a number which was associated with him throughout his career as he wore the number 8 jersey in club football.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi paid tribute to Iniesta, with whom he shared several memorable moments on the field, including lifting multiple Champions League and La Liga trophies.

“One of the team-mates with the most magic and of the one’s I enjoyed playing together the most. Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will we! I wish you the best, always. You are a phenomenon,” Messi wrote on his Instagram story.

Iniesta parted ways with Barcelona in 2018 after making 674 appearances for the club after stepping out of their La Masia academy. Messi and Iniesta played at La Masia and then ruled European football together after getting into the Barcelona senior side.

There were rumours that Iniesta might reunite with Messi at Inter Miami after the MLS club signed the Argentine’s former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez; however, it didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, Major League Soccer already is making preparations for superstar Messi’s MLS Cup playoff debut, even though his Inter Miami CF team’s opponent hasn’t been set.

Inter Miami, which clinched their first Supporters’ Shield on Wednesday with a 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew, will play their first postseason match on Oct. 25 on their home turf in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The full MLS Cup playoff bracket will be known Oct. 19, on the final day of regular-season play.

After his stint with PSG, Messi, 37, joined MLS in July 2023. Inter Miami went on to win the League Cup title but did not qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs. The Supporters’ Shield is Messi’s 46th career trophy.