Back

Messi Announces Inter Miami Move

Lionel Messi has decided to join MLS side Inter Miami after his exit from French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The World Cup winner was the subject of interest from former club Barcelona and had a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

His desired return to Barcelona became an impossibility because of Financial Fair Play (FFP) limitations.

“I’ve taken the decision that I am going to Miami,” Messi told newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.

“[I decided] to leave Europe.

“It’s true that I had offers from another European team but I didn’t even think about it because in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it’s time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.

“Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to win, and to do things well, but with more calm.”

Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after 21 years at the club because of the Catalans’ financial problems and it is those same issues that have prevented him from returning.

The 35-year-old chatted to his former team-mate and current Barca manager Xavi about a return.

“We were very excited, because when something came out we would discuss if he really wanted me to come back, if it was good for the team and for him, and we kept in communication,” Messi said.

“We never even got to talk about the contract. A proposal was passed over, but never a formal, written, signed proposal, because there was still nothing and we did not know if it was going to be possible or not.

“There was the intention, but we couldn’t advance anything, we didn’t even talk about money formally.

“If it had been a matter of money I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.”

The offer from Saudi Arabia would have reportedly paid Messi more than US$400 million per year.

/Stewart
Sports news editor