Lionel Messi Confirms Plan To Join Inter Miami In MLS, Bringing Soccer’s GOAT To U.S.

UPDATED with confirmation: Soccer superstar Lionel Messi confirmed that he is signing with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, which is co-owned by David Beckham.

Messi, considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time, told Spanish sports outlets Wednesday that “I made the decision that I am going to Miami. I still haven’t closed it one hundred percent. I’m missing some things but we decided to continue my journey there.”

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Inter Miami also tweeted out confirmation a deal was in the works. Said MLS in a statement: “We are pleased that Lionel Messi has stated that he intends to join Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer. Although work remains to finalize a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our League.”

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day-to-day more,” Messi added today. “Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always. But in a calmer way.”

Signing Messi would mark the biggest move ever for the U.S. pro league — and certainly the biggest since the L.A. Galaxy landed global star Beckham in a major coup in 2007 that helped give the nascent MLS a bigger global profile. It also was lucrative for Beckham, who made millions and was able to co-acquire the Miami franchise for $25 million — the club is now worth many times more than that and its valuation will only skyrocket with Messi in the fold.

U.S. media outlets are saying terms of Messi’s deal would include a similar part-ownership option of the Florida-based club, and that “a cut of revenue from new subscribers to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass streaming service was part of negotiations,” per ESPN.

Reports had surfaced earlier in the day Wednesday that Messi, the 35-year-old Argentine who won his first World Cup for his country this past winter, was close to hedging out a deal to join Inter Miami after confirming earlier this week that he will leave the French capital after two years with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

He had also been considering returning to his longtime club Barcelona in Spain, and he reportedly had a billion-dollar offer from the Saudi Pro League on the table. Fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Saudi league this past season and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema just signed there for the upcoming season.

But this morning, respected Spanish sports journalist Guillem Balague, author of a recent and authorized biography of Messi, tweeted: “Messi has decided. His destination: Inter Miami.”

Additionally, soccer insider Fabrizio Romano tweeted that the deal has been finalized and an announcement confirming the move was imminent.

If all is confirmed, the deal would be a monumental move that could alter the scope and shape of Major League Soccer and drastically flip the fortunes of upstart Inter Miami, which has never won a playoff game and is currently last in the Eastern Conference with a 5-11 record.

Earlier this month, it had been widely reported that Messi was considering a lucrative deal from Saudi club Al Ittihad, but an unnamed source told The Athletic that Messi’s camp was no longer considering a move to the Middle East (he told the Spanish outlets today that money was not a factor in his decision-making).

That same source told the outlet that Messi was set on a romantic return to FC Barcelona, where he spent over two decades, winning 34 titles and scoring a record 672 goals, or Miami, where he owns property and has frequently vacationed.

Messi’s father Jorge was pictured meeting Barcelona president Joan Laporta this week, but reports suggest that financial difficulties at the Spanish giants, which initially prompted Messi’s exit, have halted the club from offering an official deal, swaying his hand towards Miami. The Athletic reports that if he were to sign with Inter Miami, he could make his debut as early as July 21 in a CONCACAF Leagues Cup match against Mexican side Cruz Azul. Those tickets quickly sold out today.

A stateside move for Messi would also be a huge win for Apple, which landed a deal last summer for rights to broadcast MLS games over 10 years. The winner of seven Ballon d’Or global player-of-the-year trophies is one of the world’s biggest sporting names, with a large fanbase in both Europe and Latin America.

In fact, earlier this week, Apple TV+ locked a four-part docuseries about Messi from Smuggler Entertainment’s Tim Pastore, Patrick Milling-Smith, Brian Carmody, and Matt Renner. The currently untitled series filmed in Paris, Qatar, and Argentina tracks Messi through his five FIFA World Cup appearances and his 2022 victory.

Messi had previously gone on the record with his desire to play in the MLS at some point in his career.

During a wide-ranging 2020 interview with Spanish TV channel La Sexta, he said: “I would like to play in the United States someday. It’s always been one of my dreams, but I don’t know if it will happen.”

Patrick Hipes contributed to this report.

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