At this stage of his career, Messi is not only thinking about football but also about his family. Therefore, the free and relaxed lifestyle along with the warm white sandy beaches in Miami are more appealing to him than a Middle Eastern country. However, it would not be wise for Messi to give up PSG and join Inter Miami just for those reasons.
Just a few hours ago, many people thought Messi would follow Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the Saudi Pro League, with a staggering salary promise of £700 million for 2 years of dedication from Al-Hilal club. There is no retirement support package more generous than that, whether in Europe or the MLS.
Simply put, it is an unimaginable offer from a club in a country that only has three things: hot sand, oil, and money. They use money to shine their reputation, to change the world's perception with the ambition and power of the most powerful nation in the Middle East.
However, in the past 24 hours, everything seems to have changed completely: Messi rejected £700 million to join Inter Miami in the MLS. This name is not unfamiliar, as Inter Miami had extended an invitation to Messi since the player decided to leave Barcelona in 2021, but he ultimately chose PSG.
Inter Miami is not a glamorous club in the Major League Soccer, even though it is not part of the City Football Group created by the owners of Manchester City. Inter Miami is owned by a group of four owners, with former football star David Beckham as the representative. The "new money" group also wants to establish its position with deals like signing Messi.
Furthermore, Messi also owns real estate in Miami, the vibrant city in the southern state of Florida known for its sun and breeze. Messi and his family often come here to relax, enjoy a free-spirited lifestyle, and indulge in the conveniences and lively summer atmosphere that suits the passionate South American temperament.
However, Inter Miami is not all rosy if Messi were to come here.
Clearly, if he settled here, Messi and his family would be very happy, without having to worry about food, education, cultural and social differences, and religious practices that Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, cannot compare to. There, it might just be a golden cage, adorned with diamonds, filled with cool air from air conditioning.
However, Inter Miami is a trap. If Messi chooses this as his final destination, no one can truly understand his reasons, as it does not have the monetary aspect like PSG or the Saudi Pro League, nor does it serve to repay Barcelona's "loyalty."
It must be said that MLS has not pursued any player as eagerly since David Beckham was invited back to the league in 2007. Like Beckham, Messi can inspire football in the United States and Canada. He can initiate a new phase of development for MLS and football on the threshold of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
However, Inter Miami will not contribute much to those purposes. The sunshine and passionate lifestyle of Florida may be attractive, but they cannot cover up the reality of a club that is struggling and ordinary.
Inter Miami is currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, having lost 5 consecutive matches, including 4 under the management of coach Phil Neville, who was sacked last week. The team's poor performance is not solely due to Neville's incompetence but also because they lack the quality to compete. Moreover, in the year they tried to sign Messi (2021), Inter Miami was penalized for violating roster rules in the league.
The club received a record-breaking penalty from MLS and had its budget allocation reduced for 2022 and 2023, which continues to hinder Miami in the commercial and transfer market. After the lessons that led him to leave Barca, Messi certainly does not want to
