Messi, who left Rosario at the age of 11 to join Barcelona, is unsure whether he will return to his hometown when he calls it quits from playing football.
Despite showing no signs of slowing down, the 30-year-old is already thinking about life after the game and he is frightened by the prospect of losing his current routine.
Speaking on America TV’s La Cornisa, Messi said: “Everyone says it is very difficult and I have no doubt about that.
“It is very difficult not to have the routine of training, playing.
“I do not know what I’m going to do, where to live.
“I would like to do everything that I could not, but I do not know if it’s going to be in Barcelona, Rosario.
“I do not know what I’m going to do.”
The source of Messi’s concern appears to be the current social issues in Argentina.
“I suffer and I feel sorry that today Argentina is as it is,” he added. “The reality of the country, the insecurity.
“I look at the future, I think about being able to return to Rosario and enjoying my city because I could not do so as a kid, I had to come here, something I do not regret, but I’m worried.
“Robberies are all over the world, but it’s crazy that something more could happen to you.
“I know it’s impossible [these days], but I remember that I went out all day to the street and nothing would happen.”
Messi will spearhead Argentina’s push for World Cup glory in Russia this summer but he has indicated that this could be his final major international tournament.
“There is a feeling that much of this squad will be playing together for the last time,” he said. “It seems that having reached three finals doesn’t help.
“Obviously, we depend on the results, unfortunately. And that is behind the thinking about this whole group, right?
“That we reached three finals, which unfortunately we couldn’t win and many things were said about us.
“They don’t think about us getting closer to becoming champions, [they think] that we won’t have another chance.
“If so, they will ask that the entire group of players leave the national team.”
