- Argentine icon hit free agency in France
- Linked with Barca & move to the Middle East
- Opted to make a fresh start in America
WHAT HAPPENED? The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has decided to go chasing the American dream with Inter Miami, with the David Beckham co-owned franchise pulling off quite the coup in luring Messi to MLS. The all-time great was heavily linked with a return to Barcelona, while also receiving lucrative contract offers from the Middle East, before determining that Florida would be his next port of call. He has since been joined in the United States by former Barca team-mates Busquets and Jordi Alba – while Luis Suarez could soon be on his way - and the right call appears to have been made at an important career crossroads.
WHAT THEY SAID: Busquets has told The Athletic about WhatsApp discussions that were taken in before everybody decided that Miami would be the best move: “We spoke about it because we’re friends. We had conversations about (Inter Miami) every once in a while. Especially with Leo, who was finishing his contract (with Paris Saint-Germain) and who had some doubts about staying in Europe or facing something new away from Europe. I had more clarity. I knew that I wanted to leave Europe.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: While Messi had several options to consider when approaching free agency, fellow World Cup winner Busquets says that his heart was always set on heading to America after severing ties with Barcelona. The legendary midfielder added: “This opportunity was my first choice from the very beginning because I understood the vision that Jorge, Jose (Mas) and David (Beckham) had about this project. They made me feel welcomed and when you leave your home, that’s what you want. To feel loved, to feel important, with all of the facilities and everything else that they can offer. It made it much easier for me to make this decision. And on top of that, to be able to be here with former team-mates, I’m just so happy to be able to play with them again.”
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WHAT NEXT? Messi has already made an immediate impact at Inter Miami, with the 36-year-old crashing home a match-winning free-kick in the 94th minute of his debut to secure the out-of-sorts Sunshine State side a welcome 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in their opening game of the inaugural Leagues Cup.