Lionel Messi is going to America. The Argentina star will join Inter Miami this summer and call time on his stellar career in European football.
The 35-year-old, who led his country to World Cup glory in Qatar last winter, is regarded as one of the best to have played the game and enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Barcelona. He left Barcelona for PSG two years ago and while he claimed two league titles in Paris, Champions League glory continued to evade the French club.
Messi will now join David Beckham's Inter Miami in a huge transfer. Messi was linked with a romantic return to Barcelona which couldn't be financially facilitated while he also had a mammoth offer from Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal.
A move there would have seen the forward renew his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo after the former Manchester United man signed for Al-Nassr. But Messi opted to join Miami and in doing so turned down a lucrative offer - something Ronaldo hinted he might do when he was weighing up his future having left Old Trafford.
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Ultimately the Portugal legend moved to Saudi Arabia despite an admission during his controversial Piers Morgan interview that moving there would be 'taking the money'.
Morgan said: "Also that you want to keep playing at the highest level. You want to play Champions League football, you want to be breaking records. Again, it comes back to my gut feeling about you, that if it was just about money you’d be in Saudi Arabia earning a King’s ransom. But that’s not what motivates you. You want to keep at the top."
Ronaldo responded: “Exactly. Because I still believe that I can score many, many goals and help the team. I still believe that I’m good and capable to help the national team."
That didn't transpire and Messi, speaking in his interview confirming he was joining Miami, took the same stance as his former rival but followed through on his thought process, potentially aiming a cheeky dig at Ronaldo in the process.
“If it had been a matter of money I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere," said Messi. "It seemed like a lot of money to me and the truth is that my decision was for the other side and not for money.
“Going to live in the United States in a different way and enjoying day-to-day much more, but with the same responsibility of wanting to win and always doing things well, but (now) with more peace of mind.”
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