Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi will reportedly join the American soccer club Inter Miami; according to ESPN. The anticipated move follows the conclusion of Messi’s two-year contract with French soccer club, Paris St-Germain.
Ahead of accepting the Miami deal, Messi was also offered a deal from Saudi Arabian soccer club Al-Hilal, which would have brought him into the league with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
It was speculated by the BBC, that Messi gravitated toward Miami due to reasons unrelated to soccer, including the lifestyle and the brand deals he would receive, including Adidas and Apple.
This shift in teams will be the first time Messi plays for a club team outside of Europe. Prior to his Paris St-Germain tenure, Messi was known for his 21 years on the FC Barcelona team, where he scored 672 goals, won four Champions Leagues, seven Spanish Cups and 10 La Liga titles.
In 2021, Messi then left Barcelona and started his two years on the Paris St-Germain club team. While on that team, he scored 32 goals during his 75 games and ended the most recent season with 16 goals and 16 assists.
Throughout his career, Messi has played for Argentina’s international team. With nearly 20 years and five World Cup tournament appearances, in 2022 he won the tournament on Argentina’s team.
Originally Messi hoped to return to Barcelona, but the Financial Fair Play (FFP) limitations prevented the possibility to return to Barcelona.
In addition to his recent World Cup win, Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player seven times.
