Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi admits life in MLS is 'more relaxed' compared to 'day-to-day grind' of European football

Messi left PSG after just two seasons, opting to skip the option in his contract for a third season. Many assumed that he struggled to settle in Paris, having lived 20 years in Barcelona, which he denies is the case and insists it was solely football-related. In Miami, however, he says that life is very similar to what the family previously knew in Castelldefels, the town 12 miles outside of Barcelona he called home.

"It also seems like Paris was a nightmare, but it wasn't. When I say I didn't have a good time, it's because I wasn't happy with what I was doing and what I love to do - playing football, the day-to-day routine, training, matches - because I just wasn't feeling good," he told SPORT. "But then, honestly, we had a really great experience as a family. The city is spectacular, we enjoyed it. It was the first time we'd left Barcelona, and everything was new to us, which made it very difficult, because it wasn't an injury; it just happened that way. But the truth is, I wasn't happy with what I love to do on a daily basis.

"And here [in Miami], yes, we're doing well, we're enjoying the city, our daily life. As I was saying, it's a very similar life to what I had in Castelldefels, with the club nearby, the kids' school very close too, everything within easy reach, convenient. We live away from the city, which is beautiful, but the traffic is terrible."

The intensity and scrutiny Messi experiences now is different, out of the harsh European spotlight.

"And that's it, we enjoy each day, and in a different way, because it's more relaxed, without so much pressure, without the obligation - although I always wanted to - to win and achieve all our goals," he explained. "Obviously, we still want to, but the pressure is different, and that makes life more relaxed, and we enjoy our family more, the kids, being able to come to training, being able to go to the games, spending much more time at home, getting home and not thinking so much about football and thinking more about other things. And that, whether you like it or not, makes you live differently because it often happened to me that the results and the day-to-day grind would get to me, and well, sometimes I'd get home in a bad mood, and it was different, so we're happy here."

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Messi isn't the only player to suggest that the pressure in Europe can sometimes get out of hand. It's been particularly evident in coaches, with Xavi calling it a "cruel, unpleasant job" to be Barcelona boss in 2024, while Pep Guardiola had a full year off when he left Camp Nou in the summer of 2012. Jurgen Klopp walked away from Liverpool in 2024 and is yet to return to a club management role.

Miami are searching for a first MLS Cup title since entering the league in 2020 and hope Messi will take them there. The club collected the Supporters' Shield in 2024 for winning the regular season, only to then exit the playoffs frustratingly early.

Despite dropping back to third in the Eastern Conference in 2025, Miami have already eclipsed last year by reaching the Conference semi-finals and will take on FC Cincinnati on November 23. If they are successful, one of New York City FC or Philadelphia Union awaits at the end of this month, before the MLS Cup is scheduled for December 6. The longer Miami stay alive, the longer it also keeps alive the illustrious careers of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who will retire at the end of the season.