Not a question of money: Soccer legend Lionel Messi chooses Inter Miami in blow to Saudi Arabia

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, wide regarded arsenic 1 of the top shot players of each time, has spurned a highly lucrative connection from Saudi Arabia, choosing to alternatively ply his commercialized with Major League Soccer nine Inter Miami.

The blockbuster announcement came aft months of aggravated speculation astir whether the 35-year-old mightiness instrumentality to his beloved Barcelona, the Spanish nine helium relocated to articulation arsenic a teen but reluctantly near successful 2021. It ever appeared unlikely, however, fixed the club's longstanding occupation of getting to grips with La Liga's Financial Fair Play rules.

It was wide thought that Messi, who led Argentina to triumph astatine last year's World Cup, would opt to play for Al-Hilal successful Saudi Arabia aft parting ways with French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Unexpectedly, Messi connected Wednesday said that he'd chosen the Miami franchise.

"I made the determination that I'm going to spell to Miami," Messi revealed successful an interrogation with Spanish quality outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport, according to a CNBC translation.

"I inactive haven't closed it 100%. I'm inactive missing a fewer things, but we decided to spell ahead. If Barcelona didn't enactment out, I wanted to permission Europe, get retired of the spotlight and deliberation much astir my family."

Messi added that helium felt the clip had travel to articulation the U.S. league "to acquisition shot successful a antithetic mode and bask the day-to-day."

He added, "Obviously, with the aforesaid work and tendency to privation to triumph and to ever bash things well. But with much bid of mind."

The woody means that the planetary shot icon volition not travel long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo and French striker Karim Benzema successful a determination to Saudi Arabia.

The Mideast Gulf country, which is rapidly becoming a large subordinate successful the sports world, achieved thing of a large coup conscionable 24 hours earlier with the announcement of a daze merger betwixt its breakaway LIV Golf circuit and the U.S.-based PGA Tour.

Messi's rejection of a reported $400 million-a-year deal, a colossal sum adjacent by soccer's eye-watering standards, deals a stroke to Riyadh's ambitions to pull the sport's biggest players to its apical league.

Last month, Messi's begetter and agent, Jorge Messi, denied speculation that his lad was poised to determination to Saudi Arabia aft French media reported it was a "done deal."

It came aft PSG suspended Messi, who past twelvemonth was unveiled arsenic a tourism ambassador to the oil-rich country, for making a travel to Saudi Arabia and missing a grooming league arsenic a result.

"If it had been a question of money, I would person gone to [Saudi] Arabia oregon elsewhere wherever they offered maine a batch of money," Messi said.

One of Inter Miami's owners, Jorge Mas, preceded Messi's announcement by sharing a photograph of his silhouetted jersey, fueling speculation of the player's imminent accomplishment to Florida's South Beach.

"We are pleased that Lionel Messi has stated that helium intends to articulation Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer," the MLS said successful a statement, adding that immoderate of the finer details inactive needed to beryllium ironed out.

"Although enactment remains to finalize a ceremonial agreement, we look guardant to welcoming 1 of the top shot players of each clip to our League," the league said.