Lionel Messi has found a club for next season, and though the Argentinian superstar isn’t coming home, he is coming closer than ever before. Messi has accepted an offer from Inter Miami CF to join the MLS, and though financial details have not yet been made available, the offer is expected to make him the highest-paid player in MLS.
According to Messi, “I’ve made the decision to go to Miami” despite his wanting to stay in the European league and getting plenty of other offers. He also confirmed that the deal is 100% locked down and that there are a few things pending when it comes to the deal. But “we’ve decided to continue the path in Miami.”
Messi had previously played his entire club career in Europe, including 21 years with Barcelona and two with PSG. He scored 672 goals in his career at Barcelona, winning 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and Seven Spanish Cups. He also won two Ligue 1 trophies with PSG and scored 32 goals for the French club.
The Argentinian had considered a return to Barcelona, but his former club’s financial limitations made bringing him back a complicated proposition. Messi was keen to make a decision before departing to play two friendlies with national team Argentina, set for June 15th and 19th, and Barcelona was in no position to make a firm offer so soon.
An offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal was also on the table, but Messi reportedly preferred Miami, where he already owns a home and his family feels very comfortable.
Reports on Twitter started coming late Tuesday, first from Hernán Castillo.
And then from on Wednesday from Guillem Balague, all pointing towards a clear decision from the Argentinian star.
Later, came confirmation from well-known journalist Fabrizio Romano.
And finally, Inter Miami welcomed Lionel Messi with a compilation video of the speculation tweets before having a stylized version of his name.