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| Why is Messi going to America after forgetting his first love and rejecting Saudi wealth? |
When Argentine football legend Lionel Messi left French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), he had two options.
Offers came from several clubs, but he considered two major options, which would allow him to play club football outside of Europe for the first time.
The 35-year-old World Cup winner could either move to the US to join Inter Miami or take an unusual decision to head to Saudi Arabia, where he is also a tourism ambassador.
But actually, Messi and his fans wanted him to go to his former club Barcelona where he spent 21 years. However, the limitations of Financial Fair Play made this impossible.
In such a situation, he rejected a big Saudi offer and took the final decision to leave Europe and go to America.
"I have decided to go to Miami, I will leave Europe," Messi said in an interview with Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.
I indeed had offers from other European teams as well, he says. But I didn't think about that because, in Europe, all I thought about was going to Barcelona."
"After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barcelona, it was time for me to go to MLS (Major League Soccer) and play football differently and enjoy my everyday life," Messi said.
"Obviously I have the same responsibility and desire to win, and I have to do better," said the Argentina legend. But with some peace.
It is well known that Barcelona is Messi's first and last love when it comes to football clubs. "I wanted to go back (to Barcelona) but the experience I had and the way I ended up, I didn't want to repeat it," he said.
"I heard that they had to sell players and pay the players less. And the truth is, I didn't want to go through all that.
Barcelona also confirmed in a statement that Messi has decided to turn down their offer and move to Miami.
"(The club's) centurion respects Messi's decision to play in a league with fewer demands," he said. They want to get away from the attention and pressure they have had to face in recent years.
Messi is out of Europe for the first time
This is the first time that Messi will play club football outside of Europe. Thanks to the agreement with Miami, they will be able to work with big brands like Adidas and Apple.
He has won the Ballon d'Or award for the best footballer seven times and now after his success in the World Cup, he could win the award again later this year.
When his talks with Barcelona failed, he had to choose between Inter Miami and Al Hilal.
It was believed that the offer to go to Saudi Arabia was so big that he would easily accept it. In doing so, he would be playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in this league.
But Messi's heart fell on MLS team Inter Miami for several reasons, such as the lifestyle there and the opportunity to work with big brands that go far beyond football.
Messi already owns a house in Miami that he rents out.
In his presence, PSG won both Ligue 1 seasons but were knocked out of the Champions League. So his time in France was not full of success. It should be noted that he was also suspended by the club for some matches for visiting Saudi Arabia without permission in May.
Messi gave 21 years of his life to Barcelona and then in 2021, he had to part ways with the club due to financial difficulties. He scored 672 goals for Barcelona and won ten La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Spanish Cups.
If it was about money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia.
Messi said in a media interview that he had discussed his return to Barcelona with his close friend and club manager Xavi and President Loparta.
"We were very happy because we talked about whether he really wanted me back, whether it would be better for the team and for him. We continued to be in touch.
"We never talked about a contract," Messi said. A draft was sent but it was not formal because there was no such thing and we did not know if it was possible or not.
There was definitely an effort, but there was no progress. We didn't even talk about money regularly. If it was about money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or somewhere else.
Why is Messi going to America instead of Saudi Arabia?
Football analyst Shahrukh Sohail, while talking to BBC reporter Muhammad Sohaib, agreed with Messi. He says the figures being told about the Saudi deal were "extremely high" but it wasn't about the money.
He said that David Beckham also made his name by playing a season in the American League. "MLS is said to have struck a revenue-sharing deal with Messi, which will see Messi share in revenue from broadcasting with Apple TV and Adidas."
It is also being said that like Beckham, Messi will retire on MLThere may be an opportunity to buy a team of SK at cheap prices.
He said that it seems that Messi will retire after playing a couple of seasons in Inter Miami, but this decision will increase the reputation of both Messi and the club. I can't find it.
Shah Rukh says that the standard of sports and broadcasting in the American Soccer League has increased a lot. According to him, there is good sports infrastructure and better opportunities for athletes which Saudi Arabia wants to match with its investment.
But what does a player look for when joining a new club? On this, he mentions many factors. Obviously, it is seen how much financial benefit is being made, which league is, and what are the goals of the club. And sometimes players look at what they will get after retirement.
Such decisions are not made only based on money. A legend like Messi already has everything, so this decision has strategic importance for him.