In an interview with the media, the player made his destiny clear: “I have made the decision to go to Miami. Although it is not yet completely closed, some details are missing, we have decided to go ahead on that path.”
For its part, MLS said a deal with Messi has not yet been finalized, but was excited about the possibility of him playing in the league. In a statement Wednesday, they said: “We are pleased that Lionel Messi has declared his intention to join Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer. While there is still work to be done to finalize a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest footballers of all time in our league.”
Messi speaks out about Barcelona
When asked about the possibility of returning to Barcelona, Messi shared his perspective in the interview: “I was very excited, very excited to be able to return, but after living what I lived and the way I left, I did not want to find myself in the same situation again: waiting to see what would happen and leaving my future in the hands of others.”
The Argentine star revealed that there was a proposal, although it was not formal or in writing: “I received certain indications, but it was never a formal proposal, with everything on paper and signed. We didn’t know if it could be carried out or not.”
He added: “Although I heard that it was said that LaLiga had accepted everything and that the return was assured, there were still many aspects to be resolved. There were rumors that players should be sold or salaries reduced, and the truth is that I did not want to go through that or bear the consequences. During my career at Barcelona, I was already unfairly accused of many things, and honestly, I was tired. I didn’t want to go through all that again.”
FC Barcelona issued a statement on Wednesday, in which it was mentioned that the president of the club, Joan Laporta, “understood and respected Messi’s decision” to sign for Inter Miami, “despite having a proposal presented by Barça.” According to the statement, Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, informed Laporta about the player’s determination on June 5. In addition, it was highlighted that both Laporta and Jorge Messi agreed to work together to organize a great tribute by the club to the footballer, who will always be loved by Barça.
In Wednesday’s interview, the Argentine footballer also explained that his family influenced his decision to join Inter Miami, as he seeks his well-being: “I wanted to make my own decision, that’s why I didn’t return to Barça. Although I would have loved it, it was not possible. Also, at this point in my life, I want to get away from the media spotlight a bit and think more about my family. As I mentioned earlier, I spent two years where I wasn’t doing well on a personal level and I wasn’t enjoying it.”
Hours earlier, the CEO and owner of Inter Miami posted on his Twitter account an enigmatic image of a shirt with the number 10 and a partially visible last name, showing only the last two letters “YES”.
Prior to this, Guillem Balague, a football journalist for the BBC and The Athletic, had reported on talks between Messi and Inter Miami.
After his relationship with PSG fractured and his contract ended at the end of the current season, there was speculation about the Argentine’s possible destinations, from a dream return to Barcelona to a signing for a Saudi Arabian club.
However, Inter Miami won the bid, despite currently occupying the last place in its conference in MLS, with only 15 points in 16 games played.
For some time, rumors had already been linked about a possible signing of Messi by Inter Miami, a team owned by David Beckham.
Beckham, a well-known admirer of Messi, joked in 2019 saying: “You never know what can happen in football” when asked about the possibility of signing the Argentine at some point.
Since then, ties between the two have strengthened, and in November 2022, British newspaper The Times reported that an agreement between the two sides was close. However, at the time, Messi’s representative, Marcelo Mendez, denied that the Argentine was in negotiations to join Inter Miami next season and called the news “false.”