During the first part of 2023, the future of Lionel Messi has been the subject of much speculation.
The 36-year-old, who just won the World Cup with Argentina, is expected to leave Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires, and several steps were possible.
Ultimately, Messi opted for Inter Miami, an MLS club, where he has stood out since his arrival in July. However, as he told TIME after being named the magazine’s Athlete of the Year, moving to the United States wasn’t his first choice.
“The truth is that I had several interesting options on the table, and I had to analyze and think about them, and even weigh them with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami.
“My first option was to return to Barcelona, but that was not possible. I tried to go back and it didn’t happen. It’s also true that afterwards, I thought a lot about going to the Saudi league, where I know the country and where they have created a very powerful competition which can become an important league in the near future. Ultimately it was either Saudi Arabia or MLS, and I found both options very interesting. »
FC Barcelona lobbied hard to sign Messi, but his ongoing financial problems dissuaded him from returning, leading him to join Inter Miami. This decision greatly disappointed the Catalan club at the time, but all parties have now moved on.
