Lionel Messi”I made up my mind to travel to Miami. I still haven’t completely closed it. We chose to continue my trip there despite the fact that I’m missing some things, the seven-time world player of the year stated in an interview published by the Spanish sports publications SPORT and Mundo Deportivo.
The shocking news was revealed a few months after Messi led his nation to World Cup victory in December and was awarded the Golden Ball, which is presented to the tournament’s finest player. It also came after reports of a return back to his beloved Barcelona and rumours of a big deal in the Middle East.
Instead, Messi has followed in the footsteps of other elite athletes by transferring to the MLS.
The transfer to Inter Miami, owned by David Beckham, is not wholly unexpected. When asked if he would ever sign Messi, Beckham, a well-known devotee of the Argentine, quipped, “You never know what can happen in football,” in 2019.
The controlling owner of Inter Miami earlier on Wednesday tweeted a mysterious image of a No. 10 shirt with a last name only partially exposed, exposing the final two characters, “SI.”
Although a deal with Messi has not been finalised, MLS expressed excitement about the possibility of having Messi play in the league.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the league said it was “pleased that Lionel Messi has stated that he intends to join Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer.” Even though there is still work to be done to complete a formal deal, we are excited to have one of the greatest soccer players of all time join our League.
Since Messi confirmed his departure from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after playing his final match for the club on Saturday, there has been conjecture regarding his next move.
On May 24 in Madrid, Spain, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Karim Benzema celebrates a goal scored during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
Is Karim Benzema ready to become the first of many talented soccer players to move to Saudi Arabia to play with Cristiano Ronaldo?
Guillem Balague, a football reporter for the BBC, had previously reported that Messi was planning to decline a contract offer from the Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal.
Messi sobbed as he left Barcelona in 2021 since the team was unable to grant its talisman a new contract due to financial mismanagement, which was made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The player’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, reportedly notified club president Joan Laporta on Monday of his son’s decision to sign with Inter Miami despite receiving a contract offer from the European squad.
According to the statement, Laporta “understood and respected Messi’s decision to want to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been under in recent years.”
The elder Messi and Laporta also concurred to cooperate in promoting a “tribute from Barça fans to honour a footballer who has been, is and always will be beloved by Barça.”
Messi won two Ligue 1 championships during his two seasons at PSG but was unable to assist the team in winning the Champions League for the first time ever.
Messi’s tenure at the team came to a bitter end after PSG suspended him for travelling to Saudi Arabia without permission; he later offered an apology for the incident.
His final match for PSG resulted in a loss as the Ligue 1 champion fell to Clermont Foot 3-2 at home on Saturday.
Messi had a turbulent final season in Paris. Despite his 21 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, which helped the squad win the Ligue 1 championship, PSG once more failed to go past the round of 16 in the Champions League, the competition for which the club has the most desire.
Some PSG supporters booed Messi during his farewell game as well as a few prior contests.
Messi enjoyed 17 trophy-filled years with Barcelona, where he developed from a young athlete to a sporting legend, prior to his two-season stay with PSG.
Messi’s father had earlier this week stated that a move back to Barcelona would be his preferred choice.
