The MLS is currently jumping for joy after it was reported on Wednesday that Lionel Messi is set to join Inter Miami this summer after his contract expired at PSG. However, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal has made one last attempt at signing the 2022 World Cup winner, offering him a whopping €1.5 billion over three years, according to Spanish journalist Helena Condis.
Shortly after the news broke though, Messi himself confirmed that he is indeed taking his talents to David Beckham's Major League Soccer outfit. Via The Athletic:
“I’ve made the decision that I’m going to Miami. It’s still not a done deal 100 percent. I’m missing a few things but we’ve decided to keep going down the path,” said Lionel Messi.
“If the Barcelona thing didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, leave the spotlight and focus more on my family. I had a lot of hope that I’d be able to come back (to Barcelona), but after living what I lived through and the exit that I had (from Barcelona), I didn’t want to come back to be in the same situation: to wait and see what was going to happen or leave my future in the hands of another person.”
Lionel Messi evidently wanted a Barcelona reunion, but it just wasn't in the cards for the club financially. Although Saudi Arabia offered him an eye-popping amount of money, it's believed that his family simply didn't want to live there. I mean, it is a very different style of life compared to Europe.
Now, the Argentine gets to join the MLS, be the face of the league, grow the game, and enjoy beautiful Miami. Not too bad.
Follow Us
Subscribe