According to the BBC, Lionel Messi will reject a lucrative contract offer from Saudi Arabia and instead make a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami as a free agent, subsequent to his departure from French champions Paris St Germain.
While there were speculations of a potential return to Barcelona, the Spanish club faced limitations imposed by LaLiga’s financial fair play regulations.
If the Miami deal materializes, the 35-year-old Argentine will venture outside of Europe for the first time since he joined Barcelona’s academy at the age of 13, eventually becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with an impressive tally of 672 goals.
MLS has not officially confirmed the BBC report, emphasizing that the league reviews and approves all player contracts. Requests for comment from Inter Miami have not yet received a response.
A source familiar with the negotiations said earlier this week that Messi had desired to join a club where he could eventually hold an ownership stake. Additionally, he aimed to maximize his existing endorsement deal with Adidas, along with MLS’s affiliation with Apple.
MLS currently receives a flat fee of approximately $250 million annually from Apple, until a specific subscription threshold is reached, after which the league will earn a share of the revenue generated from those subscriptions.
Messi’s arrival in MLS is anticipated to boost viewership on the Apple TV streaming platform, owing to his status as the world’s most recognizable soccer player.
Having recently led Argentina to victory in the World Cup held in Qatar in December, and with an astonishing record of seven Ballon d’Or awards to his name, Messi secured the Ligue 1 title in his two seasons with PSG, as well as the French Super Cup in 2022.
While there were reports linking Messi to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal following a formal offer, the renowned forward opted for Inter Miami instead. Saudi Arabia has been keen on attracting top-tier players to their league and recently succeeded in persuading Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo to join Al Nassr soon after the World Cup. French striker Karim Benzema also joined Al Ittihad earlier this week.
Inter Miami, co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, who himself made a notable move to the United States and played in MLS, securing two MLS Cup victories with Los Angeles Galaxy.
