Although the wives of Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas persuaded them to move to Major League Soccer together, the proposal was never carried out.

Messi and Fabregas attended Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy together, with the latter departing at the age of 16 to join Arsenal. Then, in the summer of 2011, once Fabregas returned from the Premier League, they would be reunited at the Catalan club, eight years later. Barcelona won five trophies over the course of the following three seasons, with Messi and Fabregas playing 123 games together. However, the latter would once more depart the team and sign with Chelsea in 2014.

Four years later, in the Champions League, their paths crossed, but they never again played together on the same team. Fabregas’ announcement of his retirement from football this summer confirmed it. Since then, he has transitioned into teaching, serving as interim manager of the Italian club Como earlier this month.

That was apparently not the intention, though. At their spouses’ insistence, both desired to team up in MLS one last time, but plans never came to pass. Daniella Semaan, who married Fabregas a year later, and Antonela Roccuzzo, who married Messi in 2017, are close friends who frequently spend their summers on vacation together.

“At some point, I am sure people will try to convince them to come to the MLS,” Spanish journalist Guillem Balague said on CBS. “Basically, Cesc Fabregas wants to go to the MLS. Cesc Fabregas’ wife and Messi’s wife are very good friends. And they both, the wives, have convinced Cesc and Messi to go to America together. So when that will happen, we don’t know yet, because, of course, Cesc is still at Monaco. But it is something that is in the back of the minds of both players.”

Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo regularly holiday with Cesc Fabregas and Daniella Semaan ( Image: Getty)

Reluctantly departing from Barcelona in the summer of 2021 to become a free agent appeared to be the best way for Messi to achieve this goal. Nonetheless, Fabregas’ contract with Ligue 1 team Monaco was still valid for another year. And even though it wasn’t the Major League Soccer, they participated in the same league when Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021–2022. Even yet, before moving to Como, Fabregas only made five appearances for the Monegasque team during that season.

Before quitting after just one season in Italy, the midfield player participated in 17 more matches. It’s interesting to note that Messi’s official Inter Miami signing was announced two weeks before to the announcement at the beginning of July. With former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba soon following Messi to Miami, Fabregas seemingly would have stood a chance of joining them if he were still playing. Luis Suarez, another close buddy of Messi, is also rumored to be joining the team. This summer, the Liverpool striker opted to extend his contract with Brazilian side Gremio, so it expires next month instead of at the end of 2024.