Renowned football player Lionel Messi is poised to turn down a lucrative contract from Saudi Arabia and make a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a free agent, following his departure from French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Esteemed transfer expert Guillem Balague revealed this development, indicating that Messi’s options for a return to Barcelona were limited due to LaLiga’s financial fair play regulations.
If the deal with Miami materializes, the 35-year-old Argentine will venture beyond Europe for the first time since his initiation into Barcelona’s academy at the age of 13.
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Over his illustrious career, Messi has etched his name in the history books as Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer, amassing an impressive tally of 672 goals.
Notably, he recently led Argentina to victory in the World Cup held in Qatar last December and has been bestowed with an unprecedented seven Ballon d’Or awards. During his tenure at PSG, Messi secured the Ligue 1 championship twice, along with the French Super Cup in 2022.
Rumors also circulated about a potential move to Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal, following a formal offer extended to Messi.
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The Gulf nation has been actively pursuing the acquisition of high-profile players to strengthen its league, successfully enticing Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo to join Al Nassr shortly after the World Cup. Furthermore, French striker Karim Benzema recently joined Al Ittihad.
Inter Miami, co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, stands as Messi’s probable destination. Beckham himself was one of the pioneering European stars to make a move to the United States and compete in the MLS, having secured the MLS Cup twice during his tenure with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
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