Lionel Messi’s future most likely heads to the United States. The Argentinian striker, released by PSG after two seasons in Paris, is close to joining MLS and Inter Miami, a Florida franchise of which former football star David Beckam is the president and co-owner according to The team and the Spanish journalist Guillem Balague, close to the clan of the 2022 world champion.
If the sports daily evokes discussions still in progress, Balague wants to be much more categorical in an article published on the site of the BBC. Where he affirms that the 35-year-old player, seven-time Ballon d’Or, has chosen the United States as the third professional championship of his career and the city of Miami where he has his habits and owns a villa. He will evolve at Inter Miami, current bottom of the Eastern Conference of the North American championship.
The agreement with this franchise founded in 2018 also includes a partnership with brands such as the equipment manufacturer Adidas and Apple. If the precise financial details of the deal have not filtered, it is lower than the unprecedented offer made by the Al-Hilal club in Saudi Arabia. A contract of 360 million euros per season awaited him in this Gulf country where Cristiano Ronaldo and now Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté evolve.
Discussions with Barça have not been successful
But the Argentinian, although an ambassador for tourism in the Gulf country, and his family have ruled out this destination, in particular because of the change in lifestyle. Another possibility mentioned in recent weeks: that of seeing him join Barça, who left in 2021. On Monday, the father of the star Jorge discussed this possibility during a meeting in the house of the president of the Catalan club, Joan Laporta. “Leo wants to come back to Barca, and I would like that too,” he explained then.
But this hypothesis would no longer be relevant. According to L’Equipe, relations with Joan Laporta would be too complicated to make this return a reality. The BBC says that the finances of the club, champion of Spain this season, do not allow to welcome him with the constraints of financial fair play in Spain. Lionel Messi is therefore preparing to leave Europe. And, perhaps, to receive an eighth Ballon d’Or in the colors of an American club.
