Lionel Messi will join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami after leaving Paris Saint Germain, according to reports in the European media.
Messi had a lucrative offer to join the Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal and play in the same league as long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, but reports say that he has rejected the idea.
The report also puts an end to the speculation of Messi’s return to Barcelona, which saw him turn into a global football superstar.
With Barcelona, Messi earned himself a record six Ballon dOr awards as the worlds top player. He remains the teams all-time scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, and the top scorer in the Spanish league with 474 goals in 520 matches.
The Argentine legend capped off his illustrious international career winning the Copa America with his home country Argentina, after losing three previous finals.
Having made the finals once before and lost in the 2014 World Cup, Messi at 35, in his fifth and final appearance in the men’s football showpiece, finally claimed the trophy that had eluded him for so long at Qatar 2022.
The transfer of one of the greatest football players ever to put on a pair of boots will be a major boost for American football, which they know as ‘soccer.’
Legends like Pele, Beckham and Thierry Henry over the years have all played in America in the twilight of their careers, Messi in Miami will be another superstar signing.
The 35-year-old Messi had come to PSG in 2021, leaving Barcelona after 17 successful seasons in which he helped the Catalan club win 35 titles, including four Champions Leagues, 10 Spanish leagues and seven Copa del Reys.
Messi was the top scorer in the Spanish league in eight seasons, and the top scorer in the Champions League on six occasions.
For PSG, Messi played 75 matches in all competitions, scoring 34 goals and assisting 32 times and helped them win the Ligue One trophy this year.