Despite being expected to take a big money move to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi made a last-minute decision to play his final days with Inter Miami FC. The David Beckham-owned club was keeping tabs on Messi since last year and their proposal to him is nothing short of an established interest . A report by renowned journalist David Ornstein in October 2022 suggested that Inter Miami had offered Messi a deal. The attacker will now feature in the Major League Soccer in the United States of America where he will surely end his career.
Tabled offers
Lionel Messi was reportedly offered at least four hundred million euros per season at Al Hilal FC, which would have made him the highest-paid footballer in the game. He was expected to make a similar move to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr FC.
However, he apparently made up his mind and decided to head to the United States of America. This was purportedly fueled by Messi’s reservations about his family staying in the country.
The current valuation of Leo’s contract stands between $125 million and $150 million. According to Miami Herald, this range covers his salary together with bonuses and equity. Not to forget that MLS league sponsors Adidas and Apple are also tabling their own separate offers for the Argentine International.
Apple TV are offering Messi subscriptions to the MLS season pass. This means that the higher the number of fans who will be streaming the games, the higher the amount he gets. Inter Miami has already gained 2 million more followers after Messi’s arrival. This could also mean a higher number of MLS followers for the world-cup winner.
Also part of Leo’s offer is a percentage of Inter Miami shirt sales. This percentage will be paid directly by Adidas. The influence of such a world-wide personality is definitely expected to skyrocket the sales. The club is also anticipating more followers as a result of this alliance.
Third, Messi has been offered the chance to own an MLS club after retiring from the league. This is also the same chance that Inter Miami owner David Beckham was offered when he joined LA Galaxy in 2007. These three deals proved too lucrative for Messi to downplay and he made the decision to join Inter Miami.
Messi’s alternative options
Lionel Messi had the option of either returning to FC Barcelona or joining the Saudi League as an Al Hilal. However, both clubs failed to do enough to convince the player to join them. Furthermore, Messi reportedly wanted a league where he could stay away from too much limelight.
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Should he have remained in Europe?
Some fans have felt like Messi left for the MLS way too early. However, I feel like this could be the correct decision for the icon. Having completed the beautiful game of football, he deserves a peaceful retirement in a league that has lesser pressure to deliver. A chance to own a club makes it even more interesting. Messi could have a chance of finally managing a club after his retirement, a dream for most football fans. Lionel Messi might have made the right decision. He has already won all the necessary pieces of silverware and individual accolades. He deserves some beautiful retirement, doesn’t he?
