Lionel Messi set to join MLS side Inter Miami

 

BY AGENCIES: Lionel Messi has announced that he will sign for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.

The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club on Saturday, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he spent the majority of his career.

Messi said he did not want to wait for Barcelona to find a formula to sign him given their financial situation — they were unable to keep him before his move to PSG, leading to a tearful departure.

MLS and Inter Miami confirmed the news on social media, although the American league noted “work remains to finalise a formal agreement”.

“I’ve taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don’t have (the deal) 100 percent sealed or maybe there’s something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there,” Messi told Spanish newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.

“I have decided to leave Europe. 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,” he added.