Lionel Messi ‘wanted to return to Barcelona’ but confirms move to Inter Miami

Lionel Messi admits he “wanted to return to Barcelona” but has now confirmed his move to Inter Miami.

The 35-year-old will join David Beckham’s MLS side after months of speculation surrounding his future. Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal had been the favourites to sign Messi after it emerged they were offering the Argentine a $1billion (£800million) deal over two years.

Boyhood club Barcelona, where Messi spent the majority of his legendary career before joining PSG, were also in the running.

But the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner stunned fans by choosing Inter Miami. He explained how money wasn’t enough of a motivating factor to seal his move to the Middle-East, while offering a cryptic jibe at Barcelona over “leaving his future in other people’s hands”.

READ MORE: Lionel Messi gives 'verbal agreement' and confirms his next club after leaving PSG

“I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “I still don't have it 100% completed, but we decided to continue my journey there.

"I'm not going back to Barca, I'm going to Inter Miami. I had a lot of hope that I’d be able to come back.

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“But after living what I lived through and the exit that I had (from Barcelona), I didn’t want to come back to be in the same situation: to wait and see what was going to happen or leave my future in the hands of another person.”

Messi won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with the Catalan side. He was forced out of the club in 2021 after their dire financial situation did not permit them to sign him on to a new contract.

He went on to say: "The truth is that I had offers from another European team, but I didn't even evaluate it because in Europe my idea was only to go to Barcelona.

"If it had been a matter of money, I would have gone to Arabia or somewhere else. It seemed like a lot of money to me and the truth is that my decision is on the other hand and not for money."

Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, is reportedly flying to Miami to finalise the deal.

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