- Lionel Messi is making the most of some much-needed time away from football
- The Inter Miami was out to dinner on Friday night with some good friends
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Lionel Messi went out for dinner in Miami on Friday evening with his beautiful wife Antonela Roccuzzo and good friend Sergio Busquets and his partner Elena Galera.
The Inter Miami football star chose the luxurious Asian restaurant Sexy Fish for the occasion and spent about two hours there with his teammate and his sister Maria, who turned 29 this week.
Antonela looked stunning in a revealing black dress, while Messi was dressed in a black jacket and jeans with white trainers.
Messi, who was playing in the World Cup for Argentina this time last year – they would go on to win the tournament – is enjoying some much-needed downtime after a near-brutal football calendar over the past year.
He had a short break between leaving Paris Saint-Germain and joining Inter Miami in early July, but needed his MLS team to manage his workload in the final months of the season.
Lionel Messi went out for dinner in Miami on Friday evening as he enjoys some time off from football
Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzoi, wowed as she appeared in a revealing black dress
They were with Inter Miami teammate Sergio Busquets and his wife Elena Galera (photo)
Roccuzzo (left) imagined leaving the restaurant in downtown Miami on Friday evening
He recently played in two World Cup qualifiers for Argentina against Uruguay and Brazil but is now off until the New Year.
Messi, 36, had an electrifying impact on soccer in the United States in the first few months of his time in Miami, with stars including Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio and LeBron James going to see him play for David Beckham's MLS team .
He scored 11 goals in just 14 games for his new team, leading them to Leagues Cup glory when they defeated Nashville on penalties in August.
Miami also reached the final of the US Open Cup, but were defeated by Houston Dynamo. Messi missed that match injured as the minutes on the pitch caught up with him.
Miami failed to qualify for the MLS play-offs due to a disastrous start to the season under Phil Neville, who was replaced by coach Tata Martino shortly before Messi arrived as Miami.
Messi controversially described MLS as “a minor league” in an interview this week in Argentina, despite his deal with Miami – worth up to $60 million per season – potentially lasting three years.
He made the comment while answering whether he will still play for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup when he is 39, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Messi told Star+: “I have said it several times and it is a reality: I will always try to compete to the maximum and I am the first to know when I can be there and when I cannot.
There was, as always, plenty of attention on Messi as he headed out for the evening
The World Cup winner waved to fans as he drove slowly through the streets of Miami
Inter Miami teammate Sergio Busquets imagined himself arriving for the meal with his wife Elena
Messi and Antonela spent about two hours at the venue before heading home on Friday
“I'm also aware that I went to a minor league, but a lot of it happens in the way you deal with it and compete.”
Messi said he is focusing on competing for Argentina in next summer's Copa America, which will also be held in the US.
“As long as I feel like I'm doing well and I can continue to contribute, I'm going to do it,” Messi said.
'Today I'm just thinking about getting to the Copa América well and being able to compete in it. We'll fight it again like we always did and try to become champions.'