Lionel Messi has signed for Inter Miami, ending months of speculation about his future.
The World Cup winner, 35, played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month and looked set for a move back to Barcelona or to Saudi side Al-Hilal.
However, Messi has instead agreed a deal to play in MLS.
He spoke at length about the move, saying: “I’m not going back to Barca, I’m going to Inter Miami. I wanted to return to Barca but I didn’t want to leave my future in the hands of other people.
“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.”
Heralded as arguably the greatest player of all time, the Argentine scored 672 goals in 778 appearances in a legendary stint at the Camp Nou.
His impact has lessened since heading to Paris in 2021, although 32 goals in 75 appearances still represents a fine return.
And inspiring Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar in 2022 was the cherry on the cake of a historic career.
He will now play professional football outside of Europe for the first time as he joins a Miami side sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference.
