Lionel Messi has already made his decision. Messi prefers to move to Inter Miami rather than return to Barcelona or accept the Saudi Arabian club’s offer.
“I will join Inter Miami. The decision is 100 percent,” Messi told Spanish media, Mundo Deportivo, on Wednesday (7/6/2023). Messi’s future was a mystery. It is known that he will not renew the contract at Paris Saint-Germain, which he has defended for the past two seasons.
FC Barcelona is very ambitious to bring Messi back to Camp Nou. In fact, the president Joan Laporta has met Messi’s father and agent, Jorge. Meanwhile, Al Hilal intends to bring the 35-year-old player to Saudi Arabia. Forbes said Al Hilal in May had increased the salary offer for Messi to US$500 million per year. Al Hilal’s offer far exceeds Al Nassr’s salary for Cristiano Ronaldo, which is believed to reach US$214 million per year.
However, returning to Barcelona or accepting a tempting offer from Saudi Arabia was not Messi’s choice. The superstar finally chose to move to the United States to defend Inter Miami. Messi emphasized that he chose David Beckham’s football club not because of money.
“The truth is this is my final decision, to go somewhere else and not for the money.mWe never negotiated my salary. It’s not about money. Otherwise, I would have joined a Saudi Arabian club,” said Messi.
Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have not disclosed the details of their agreement to the public. However, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times, there are three factors that are believed to be the reason Messi chose to continue his career in Uncle Sam’s country with Inter Miami.
Raise the prestige of United States football
After David Beckham, who joined the LA Galaxy in 2007, there has been no top footballer who has really made Major League Soccer (MLS) the center of attention. Indeed, big names from Europe such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale have visited MLS. However, their presence is considered unable to make MLS globally popular like it was when Beckham was there. Now, it is believed that Messi can again raise the prestige of United States football as Beckham and Pele did with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s.
Already have everything, it’s time to live quietly
Messi has got everything from football. He was rolling in wealth and various prestigious trophies. The achievement of Antonela Roccuzzo’s husband was perfect with the World Cup title with the Argentina national team. Now, it’s time for Messi to live quietly and away from pressure.
“Messi is a family man, very stable in his private life. As a brand, he is very different from Cristiano Ronaldo,” said Simon Chadwick, professor of sports and economics at Scheme Business School in Paris. Messi is known to have owned an apartment in Miami. During the holiday season, he and his family often spend time there. In an interview, Messi once revealed that he and his family want a different life, where they can enjoy life day by day.
Save energy for the Argentina national team
It’s no secret that in the last two years Messi has been happier playing for the Argentina national team. It is believed that moving to the United States League, which is inferior in quality to Europe, will not make Messi lose his place in the La Albiceleste squad. Messi is a leader and role model who is expected to continue playing for the Argentina national team in the next two important tournaments.
Keep in mind, the 2024 Copa America will be held in the United States. Then, the 2026 World Cup will also be held in three countries in the North American region, namely the US, Canada and Mexico. By playing in a league that is not as competitive as Europe, Messi can save energy if he still wants to defend the Argentina national team in these two major tournaments.
