6 of Lionel Messi’s former team-mates we can’t believe are free agents in 2024: Iniesta, Ramos…

Lionel Messi has already reunited with old Barcelona pals Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez out at MLS outfit Inter Miami – but could more of his superstar former team-mates be set to join him?

A number of Messi’s Champions League and World Cup-winning old colleagues are currently out of contract and on the lookout for a new club. Inter Miami have shown themselves willing to sign famous faces in the twilight years of their careers, so we certainly wouldn’t rule out one or more of this lot rocking up in Florida in the coming weeks.

Here are six of Messi’s old team-mates that are currently available to sign as free agents. They couldn’t, could they…?

Sergi Roberto

“All the luck in your new stage!!. Wish you the best, Sergi Roberto!” Messi wrote on Instagram after the news of Sergi Roberto’s Barcelona departure broke.

The Barcelona icon has posted tributes to a number of his old team-mates, including Alba and Busquets, after they left – although notably he kept schtum when Gerard Pique announced his retirement. Read into that what you will.

Roberto was never the most gifted of La Masia academy graduates, but he was a dedicated club servant and often immensely useful as a utility squad option – while few players can boast a moment quite like that winner against PSG.

He wouldn’t have made almost 400 appearances for his boyhood club had he not possessed plenty of ability.

It remains to be seen what’s next for the 32-year-old, who has only ever known Barcelona, but Aston Villa and West Ham are among the clubs currently linked.

Andres Iniesta

Six years have passed since the legendary midfielder waved goodbye to Barcelona. He’s now in his forties and is yet to hang up his boots, having spent five years in Japan with Vissel Kobe and last season presumably taking home a healthy pay packet at UAE club Emirates FC.

Iniesta has been tight-lipped on his next move, although he has stated his desire to move into coaching and one day return to Barcelona in some capacity. But he might keep playing for a while longer yet, with no retirement announcement after his Emirates contract expired.

The veteran linked up with Messi and his other old team-mates when Miami and Vissel Kobe played a friendly back in February. Back then a move to Miami was mooted in some opportunistic corners of the internet, but nothing has come to fruition.

Incredibly, there have even been whisperings that Iniesta has offered his services to unnamed clubs in the Championship. But we’ll believe the World Cup winner rocking up at Home Park or Kenilworth Road only when we see it.

Rafinha

Thiago Alcantara’s younger brother – who elected to follow father Mazinho in representing Brazil – has fallen off the footballing radar a little in recent years.

He never quite nailed down a starting spot at Barcelona amid back-and-forth loans away, struggled with injuries, and failed to make it beyond the fringes at PSG.

He’s still only 31 years of age but has spent the last couple of seasons playing away from the spotlight at Qatari outfit Al-Arabi.

At this point we don’t know what kind of market there is for Rafinha in terms of European clubs, but a move to MLS or elsewhere in the Middle East wouldn’t shock us.

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Sergio Ramos

Ramos made a romantic return to Sevilla after leaving PSG alongside Messi last summer.

The ludicrously decorated (in more ways than one) centre-back reportedly turned down lucrative offers in favour of rejoining his hometown club, in part to build bridges with a fanbase that he’d endured an antagonistic relationship with during his prime years at Real Madrid.

His second stint at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan wasn’t exactly the stuff of dreams – Sevilla bombed out of the Champions League at the group stage, found themselves in a relegation battle and only ended up finishing midtable – but Ramos can consider bridges rebuilt to a certain extent.

Now 38, Ramos has announced his second exit from Sevilla. We’re yet to find out what he’ll do next, but we’re sure he’ll have no shortage of options. There’s been talk of “advanced negotiations” with an unnamed MLS club but we reckon he’s bound for the Saudi Pro League.

Andre Gomes

The Portuguese midfielder made 68 appearances alongside Messi for Barcelona. He was a bit of a perplexing signing, but he did win a Copa del Rey and La Liga title during his two seasons as a (semi-)regular in Catalonia before moving on to Everton.

After five years on Everton’s books, Gomes is now free to rebuild his career elsewhere. He made 14 appearances and scored twice for Sean Dyche’s side last term and is still only 31 years old.

We can’t see him signing for another English club at this point, but going back to Portugal or a midtable La Liga or Serie A club is certainly on the cards.

You could also see an under-the-radar move to an MLS or Saudi Pro League side.

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Claudio Bravo

Another golden oldie that refuses to hang up his boots (gloves?), Chilean icon Bravo – the hero of their Copa America penalty shootout victories over Messi’s Argentina in 2015 and 2016 – is searching for his next (and surely last?) challenge after leaving Real Betis in the summer.

Bravo won back-to-back La Liga titles alongside Messi during his two years at Barcelona and there’s still plenty of warmth and respect between them – as evidenced by Messi interrupting a post-match interview to console the ‘keeper following Argentina’s victory over Chile at the latest Copa America this summer.

LA Galaxy are among the clubs tipped to sign the 41-year-old.