Argentina’s football legend, Lionel Messi, is poised to join Inter Miami, an American team, following his departure from Paris St-Germain, the French champions
Despite receiving a more lucrative offer from Al-Hilal, a Saudi Arabian club, Messi has chosen to reject it. The agreement with Inter Miami involves partnerships with renowned brands such as Adidas and Apple.
At 35 years old, Messi has been named the world’s best player seven times and is expected to receive the award again later this year following his success in the World Cup. This marks the first time the iconic Barcelona player will compete outside of Europe.
Initially, Messi had hoped to continue playing in Europe for another season. However, after receiving no satisfactory offers, he was faced with the choice between Inter Miami and Al-Hilal.
Despite speculation favoring a move to Saudi Arabia, where he would have joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the league, the financial aspect could not match what Inter Miami had to offer.
Ultimately, Messi was enticed by the prospects of playing in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. Lifestyle considerations and a deal involving prominent brands that extend beyond football played a significant role in his decision.
Notably, he already owns a house in Miami, which he currently rents out. While he had expressed a desire to return to Barcelona this summer, the financial constraints imposed by Financial Fair Play regulations in La Liga made it impossible to realize any ambitious plans to bring him back.
During his time in France with Paris St-Germain, the club won Ligue 1 in both seasons, but their performance in the Champions League fell short as they were eliminated in the last 16. As a result, Messi’s tenure in France was not regarded as a resounding success.
Throughout his time at the club, he scored 32 goals in 75 games, and this season he concluded with 16 goals and 16 assists in Ligue 1.
With Messi’s two-year contract ending this summer, both parties agreed to part ways. In May, he was suspended for two weeks due to an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. While his legacy stems from his tenure at Barcelona and winning the World Cup with Argentina, he left Barcelona in 2021 after spending 21 years at the club, mainly due to the club’s financial difficulties.
Messi remains Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer with 672 goals and has amassed 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Spanish Cups.
