Yesterday it became known that 36-year-old Lionel Messi, seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, will continue his career at the American club Inter Miami. Messi told Mundo Deportivo newspaper.
“I decided that I would go to Miami. “I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family,” Messi admitted.
Why didn’t Messi move to Barcelona?
Many expected Messi to return to his native Barcelona, where he played almost his entire career. The Argentine explained why he could not reach an agreement with the club and went to the USA:
“I heard that Barcelona needed to sell players or reduce their salaries, and to be honest, I didn’t want to be in that situation. During my time at Barcelona I had already been accused of a lot of things that had nothing to do with reality, and I was a little tired of it and didn’t want to deal with it again.”
Why didn’t Messi move to another European club?
A few years ago, Messi was accused of his huge salary leading to Barcelona’s financial collapse. The transition to the USA looks ideal: Lionel is 36, his play has become worse and he is tired of the attention — he was heavily criticized for the quality of his performances at PSG. He will probably retire in a couple of years, around the same time as Ronaldo.
“Now I’m at a stage in my life when I would like to reduce the attention to myself a little,” admits Messi. — Two years in Paris were difficult — I lived in a hotel with my family for a long time, many everyday problems arose. At times I felt downright bad.
Yes, it was a cool month after winning the World Cup, but globally I didn’t feel comfortable in France. But we must move forward: for the sake of the family and children. That’s why I decided not to give up, even after I didn’t return to Barça.”
Let us remember that Messi, as part of Barcelona, became the champion of Spain ten times, the winner of the Spanish Super Cup and the National Cup seven times each, won the Champions League four times, won the UEFA Super Cup three times and the Club World Cup. In 2021, the forward received the Ballon d’Or for a record seventh time — the prize for the best player of the year.