Where is Lionel Messi headed next? That has been the question the footballing world asked over the last few days.
The wait appears to be over as the champion footballer will move to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami as a free agent after snubbing a lucrative contract with the Saudi Arabia-based Al Hilal, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Inter Miami are co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, who was one of the first major stars to move to the United States to play in the MLS, winning the MLS Cup twice with Los Angeles Galaxy.
Messi, who played his final game for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Saturday, was also linked with a return to Barcelona. But the Spanish giants have had their hands tied due to La Liga’s financial fair play rules.
When his deal with Inter Miami is announced officially, the 35-year-old Argentine will be playing outside Europe for the first time since he joined Barcelona’s academy at the age of 13 and became the club’s all-time record goal-scorer with 672 goals. The Inter Miami deal includes collaboration with a couple of leading brands too.
Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last December and has earned a record seven Ballon d’Or, won the Ligue 1 title in his two seasons with PSG as well as the French Super Cup in 2022.
He was also linked with a move to Al Hilal after receiving a formal offer from the Saudi club. Messi was tipped to be favouring a move to Saudi Arabia, where he would have joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
But Messi was ultimately tempted to the MLS side for a variety of reasons, including lifestyle as well as the deal with the big brands that extend beyond football. Besides, he already owns a house in Miami, which he currently rents out.
For PSG, where he joined in 2021, Messi netted 32 goals in 75 games and ended this season with 16 goals and as many assists in Ligue 1. His two-year contract comes to an end this month and both parties agreed to go separate ways, with the playmaker-cum-striker suspended for two weeks in May for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.
Messi’s move, however, is of his own volition as he felt the French club lacked a project for the future while fan unrest only hastened his exit. The highs after winning Argentina’s first World Cup in 36 years were quickly offset by the lows he experienced at PSG. Messi also found himself in the eye of a storm when the club’s fans turned against him amid PSG’s troubling form.
