Messi announced on Wednesday that he would sign for MLS side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a blockbuster deal to reunite with Barcelona or play in Saudi Arabia.
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Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, opting instead to play with Major League Soccer’s Internacional Miami. trade.
The blockbuster news comes after months of intense speculation over whether the 35-year-old will return to his beloved Barcelona, the Spanish club he moved to as a teenager but will not return in 2021. Reluctantly left. However, that always seemed unlikely, with clubs’ mastery of La Liga’s Financial Fair Play rules a long-running issue.
Messi, who led Argentina to victory at last year’s World Cup, is widely expected to opt for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia after parting ways with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
In a surprise move, Messi said on Wednesday that he had chosen the Miami team.
“I made the decision to go to Miami,” Messi revealed in an interview with Spanish news outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport, according to a CNBC translation.
“I’m not 100% off it yet. I’m still missing something, but we’ve decided to move on. If Barcelona doesn’t make it, I want to leave Europe, stay out of the spotlight and think more about my family.”
Messi added that he felt it was time to join the American League, “to experience football in a different way, to enjoy every day.”
He added, “Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to win and always get things done. But more peace of mind.”
Saudi Arabia’s sporting ambitions setback
The deal means the global football icon will not follow long-term rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and France striker Karim Benzema to Saudi Arabia.
The Middle Eastern Gulf nation, which is fast becoming a major player in the sports world, passed the announced a surprise merger between its split LIV golf tour and the US-based PGA Tour.
Messi’s rejection Report The $400m-a-year deal, a hefty sum even by dizzying football standards, has dealt a blow to Riyadh’s ambitions to lure the sport’s greatest players to its top flight.
Last month, Messi’s father and agent Jorge Messi reject There has been speculation that his son is preparing to move to Saudi Arabia after French media reported it was “a foregone conclusion”.
It comes after PSG suspended Messi, who was announced as the oil-rich country’s tourism ambassador last year, after missing a training session due to a trip to Saudi Arabia.
“If it’s about money, I’ll go to (Saudi) Arabia or somewhere else where they give me a lot of money,” Messi said.
The Miami Pro Soccer team plays at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 7, 2023.
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Jorge Maas, one of Inter Miami’s owners, shared a photo of Messi’s silhouette jersey ahead of his announcement, fueling speculation of the player’s imminent arrival in South Beach, Florida.
“We are delighted that Lionel Messi has indicated his intention to join Inter Miami and MLS this summer,” MLS said in a statement, adding that some finer details still need to be finalized. solve.
“While finalizing a formal agreement is still to be finalized, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest footballers of all time to our league,” the league said.