“The moment has come to close a truly meaningful chapter in my life. I’ve decided to bring my professional football career to an end at the conclusion of this season,” he said in his Instagram post.

Alba joined Inter Miami in 2023, reuniting with Messi and Busquets to rekindle one of the most successful partnerships of the 2010s.

Messi shared an emotional message on Instagram, “Thank you, Jordi. I’m going to miss you a lot. After so many things together, it’s going to be strange to look to my left and not see you there.