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On June 8th Beijing time, many Barcelona fans woke up with heartbreaking news - Messi announced that he was joining Inter Miami, bidding farewell to the five major European leagues.

“I won’t be returning to Barcelona. I will be joining Inter Miami,” Messi announced his decision in an interview with Daily Sports and World Sports News.

After Messi announced his decision, Miami International confirmed the signing with Messi through official social media. Messi will wear the number 10 jersey for the team and compete in Major League Soccer. When describing Messi, Major League Soccer used the “GOAT” icon, which means “Greatest of All Time”.

It is worth noting that Messi was once close to returning to Barcelona, but the darling of Camp Nou ultimately failed to return to where his dream began. “I won the World Cup, but I still couldn’t return to Barcelona. I chose to continue my football career in the United States in another way,” Messi said.

In August 2021, Barcelona encountered an economic crisis and was unable to meet Messi’s financial requirements for renewal. Messi was forced to leave his mother team where he had played for 21 years. In the two seasons after joining Paris Saint-Germain, although he won two consecutive Ligue 1 championships with the team, Messi was frequently caught in controversies because the team failed to make a breakthrough in the Champions League.

Although he did not have a good time at the club, Messi led the Argentine team to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and achieved a “grand slam” in his personal career.

In fact, Messi is always invited by various team but he still maintains a highly competitive state. In the 41 Paris matches he participated in last season, he scored 21 goals and assisted 20 goals. He averaged a goal or assist per game, and he is also the only player in the five major European leagues to achieve double 20.

So why did Messi choose the United States this time?

“I really hope to return to Barcelona, but considering what I experienced when I left, I don’t want to encounter such a situation again-waiting for things to happen and handing the future over to others. I heard that Barcelona needs to sell players to reduce expenses. I don’t want to go through all of this,” Messi said in an interview with World Sports News in Spain. “I have been paying attention to Barcelona throughout the season, and I will always be a supporter of Barcelona.”

According to the well-known American magazine The Atlantic, in fact, this is a decision made by Messi and his family and team after careful consideration.

First of all, although Messi is about to turn 36 years old, his condition is still at its peak. From the Qatar World Cup, Messi is still the absolute core of the Argentine team. If he maintains a good competitive state in the next three years, Messi three years later may still be the most attacking player in the World Cup and will still bear the hope of the Argentine team.

Secondly, the 2026 World Cup is jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Messi’s arrival coincides with a period of strong development of football in the United States and may accelerate the development of professional football in the United States.

Although Major League Soccer is a paradise for “second-line” stars, it is not a “nursing home”. It is not uncommon for players to return to mainstream European leagues from MLS. Recently retired Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a good example. He strolled around America and returned to Europe to “dominate” again.

In addition, the owner of Miami International is none other than football’s “heartthrob” - David Beckham. In 2018, a consortium led by Beckham spent $25 million to acquire the team, which was later renamed Miami International, becoming the 25th team in Major League Soccer. At that time, Messi, who was a good friend of Beckham’s, sent his congratulations via video and joked, “Maybe you’ll call me (to invite me to join) in a few years.”

According to multiple media reports, Messi has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Miami International. His annual salary, bonuses and equity dividends will exceed $100 million (about RMB 714 million). It is reported that Messi is expected to make his debut in the North American League Cup match between Miami International and Mexico’s Blue Cross on July 21 local time.