Lionel Messi, one of the finest soccer superstars of our generation, is planning to sign on with Inter Miami. Just a couple days after he noted that he will not be staying with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi declared in an interview his plans to move to Miami.
Possible Moves
Messi’s sparkling career establishes him as one of the best soccer players of all time. He has won all the highest honors including several Champions League awards, the Copa America, and the World Cup last year. As a result, he had several offers to continue his soccer legacy after leaving PSG. He was offered a deal by Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal with an astounding $400 million per year. This extremely lucrative offer signals Saudi Arabia entering the major sports league as it has already lured in Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. However, Messi claimed that “if it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Arabia or somewhere,” yet he decided on Miami after other deliberations.
Another influential deal was offered by Messi’s old Barcelona club, Catalonia. While Messi was looking to leave Europe once his contract expired, this Barcelona club was likely the only lure which would have kept him in the continent. However, Messi declined the offer due to the club’s financial concerns over whether they would be able to keep him and not have to significantly alter their current lineup.
“If Barcelona didn’t work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family.”
Although Inter Miami and Messi have both underlined that an official deal agreement has not been signed, Messi sees this new step as a way to “experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day.”
About Inter Miami
Inter Miami was established in 2018 and is partly owned by soccer star David Beckham. It began its Major League Soccer career in 2020, and its leaders have shown interest in bringing Messi abroad for a long time. The deal between Messi and Inter Miami would likely be sponsored by Apple and Adidas as well, making Messi the highest paid player in the history of MLS.
Inter Miami is valued at $600 million, the eleventh highest in Major League Soccer. Many soccer fans compare Messi’s probable move to Miami as overshadowing even that of Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy.
According to Jim Curtin, the head coach of the Philadelphia Union, “It’s the biggest day in probably MLS history, right? It’s the best player that the sport of soccer has ever had in my opinion, for what that’s worth… But it’s a big day for the league, no question about it… When you talk about the player, it speaks for itself. He’s won everything everywhere he’s been. It shows that our league is a very attractive one. There’s no problems recruiting the top players to come here.”
In the end, it will be interesting to see how Messi’s already extraordinary career will grow as he moves to the States and begins playing for Miami. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, there will be increased spotlight on the greatest players of this generation.