Lionel Messi says he’s joining Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami after exit from Paris Saint-Germain

Lionel Messi has pulled off his latest astonishing feat: he’s headed to MLS and joins Inter Miami.

After months, if not years, of speculation, Messi has finally revealed his decision to join the Miami squad, which has been led since its inception by another global football icon, David Beckham, but is yet to be on the pitch. cause any real buzz.

This may change soon. Inter Miami boss Jorge Maas tweeted a photo of Messi’s jersey outlined in black, shortly after the Argentine superstar revealed in interviews with Spanish news outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport. ​​​decision.

It is widely believed that Messi will eventually choose to play for Hilal in Saudi Arabia, following longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, in a country where some clubs are now financed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. A return to Barcelona, ​​the storied side where he has spent most of his career, is another possibility.

But in the end, he made a decision that surprised many. Messi joins Major League Soccer. He said in an interview Wednesday that some final details still need to be ironed out, but he has called for “continuing my path” in Miami.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, ​​it was my turn to go to the American League to live football in another way,” Messi said.

He didn’t take the money. He didn’t choose to remember. He chose Miami. Messi’s next games are likely to be against Australia in Beijing on June 15 for Argentina and Indonesia in Jakarta four days later – before his international Miami debut is expected to take place sometime in July.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner – the trophy is awarded annually to the world’s best player – moves after two years at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi, 35, has little left to prove in the game and he filled the only important box on his résumé unchecked when he guided Argentina to World Cup glory in December.

Messi has scored more than 800 goals for club and country during his career, making him one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the sport. In more than 17 years representing Argentina on the international stage, he scored 102 goals against 38 different national team opponents, including 16 goals in the United States. He scored twice in last year’s World Cup final against France, which officially ended 3-3, with Argentina winning on penalties.

He has reached the absolute pinnacle of his game.

Now he’s in MLS, and with a struggling team — bottom of the Eastern Conference, just a few feet away from the sacking of manager Phil Neville (handpicked by Beckham two years ago). a few days.

Lionel Messi’s decision to play in the United States may be the biggest impetus American football has ever seen on the professional scene. Some of the biggest names in football – Pele, Thierry Henry, Beckham himself – have come to the United States at the end of their careers, but signing a player is still no less than approaching his peak form, and the distance With only a few months to go before the trophy, the World Cup is simply huge.

Months of negotiations with Major League Soccer, the ownership of Inter Miami, Adidas and even Apple were involved in a creative campaign to bring Messi to Miami’s pitches. Apple, Major League Soccer’s broadcast partner, announced Tuesday that it will present an as-yet-untitled four-part documentary series “that includes exclusive behind-the-scenes access to global superstar Lionel Messi. … …In his own words, Messi told the defining story of his incredible career with the Argentina national football team, offering an intimate and unprecedented look at his quest for legendary World Cup triumph. “

Now, his story will have a Miami chapter.

It took six years for Inter Miami to play its first game, and its first four seasons were not stellar.

Messi joined a team that was at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and just fired its coach. It’s made the playoffs in two of its first three seasons, but hasn’t finished a season with a winning record or even positive goal difference.

Still, there have been signs for months that Miami is still very likely to be in Messi’s lottery. Messi met with Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham this spring and shared it publicly, almost to make sure everyone knew the two sides were still in talks.Messi and his family also own several luxury real estate properties in South Florida, and — almost as if suggesting something big is about to happen — MLS clubs have told fans that the only way they can get tickets for the second half of the season is by buying season one. ticket package

He has huge appeal all over the globe, including Miami. Two days after Argentina won the World Cup, Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry sat on the team’s bench, unable to play because of an injury. He was wearing a Messi jersey that night.

Inter Miami still plays its home games at a temporary home in Fort Lauderdale, about 45 minutes north of Miami’s venue, where the team hopes to build a permanent complex.

Even in an area with a heavily Latino population, and where more people might actually call the sport football than football, Inter Miami has struggled to gain the same attention as the area’s major professional team – the basketball team’s The Heat, the Miami Marlins in baseball, the Miami Dolphins in football and the Florida Panthers in hockey.

Messi can change that in no time. In an instant, he was the top man in Major League Soccer, making everything Miami did newsworthy.

His decision ended a wild saga. Barcelona made Messi a superstar, but the financial problems that forced his release two years ago remain a problem.

“I heard they had to sell players or lower their salaries, the truth is, I don’t want to go through that,” Messi said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia has no financial problems and when Messi traveled to Saudi Arabia without authorization there was speculation that he would end up there. Paris Saint-Germain suspended him and some fans started attacking him, taunting him towards the end of his season with the French club.

Everyone knew he would not be returning to Paris Saint-Germain. Few thought he was going to Miami. But here he is, a superstar transfer to Miami that may have been a more shocking move than LeBron James joining the Heat 13 years ago.