MIAMI – Soccer superstar Lionel Messi made it official Wednesday: He’s coming to Inter Miami and joining Major League Soccer.
After months of speculation, Messi revealed his decision in interviews with Spanish media Mundo Deportivo and Sport. In the interview with Sport, he pointed out that some details still need to be resolved, but that he has made his choice.
“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was up to me to go to the league in the United States to experience football in a different way,” said Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner . , the trophy awarded annually to the best player in the world.
The Argentine soccer great joins a Miami franchise that has been led by another global soccer icon in David Beckham since its inception, but has yet to make a real splash on the field. Inter Miami sits in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference, just days after manager Phil Neville was fired.
That will likely change soon. One of the owners of Inter Miami, Jorge Mas, tweeted a photo of a Messi shirt with a dark silhouette shortly after Messi spoke to the Spanish media.
— Jorge Mas (@Jorge__Mas) June 7, 2023
The move had been reported earlier in the day by journalist Guillem Balague, who wrote a book with Messi. He said on Twitter that the decision has been made, and published a report for the BBC saying the same
Messi has decided. His destination: Inter Miami
Leo Messi goes to Inter Miami
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) June 7, 2023
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain ended on Saturday and he has been working to decide his next football home.
In the past, Inter Miami had been rumored as a possible destination for the Argentine soccer great due to the city’s international appeal and strong Latino influence, but he had stayed in Europe to play.
The Athletic and the Miami Herald previously reported that Major League Soccer, Inter Miami and Apple, which has a 10-year, $2.5 billion streaming deal with MLS, were putting together a financial package to lure him at the Miami club. The Athletic reported that German sportswear and footwear giant Adidas could also sweeten the deal.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
MLS leaders have long wanted to see Messi, 35, play in the United States, saying it would increase the league’s visibility and increase subscribers to Apple’s broadcasts of the games.
MLS has been home to other international soccer greats who play later in their careers. Beckham, a former English soccer icon, starred for MLS’s LA Galaxy and now co-owns Inter Miami. The great Brazilian Kaka played for the Orlando City Lions.
Messi, who has a commercial contract to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia, had also been linked with Saudi club Al-Hilal. The country has been trying to bring in some of football’s most prominent, albeit aging, stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Messi spent most of his career playing for Barcelona. His father, Jorge, was in the Spanish city on Monday, fueling speculation that his son could return to the club.
Messi has more than 800 goals in his career, making him one of the top scorers in the history of the sport. In more than 17 years representing Argentina on the international stage, he has scored 102 goals against 38 different national team opponents. He scored twice in last year’s World Cup final against France, a match that officially ended 3-3 with Argentina winning on penalties.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
