Lionel Messi: Inter Miami move has revitalised my family after tough PSG spell

By SABC Sport
24th August 2023

Lionel Messi has acknowledged that his decision to join Inter Miami this summer was driven by the desire to do what's best for him and his family.

Following Barcelona's financial constraints preventing them from extending his contract in the summer of 2021, Messi took his talents to Paris Saint-Germain in France. There, he accumulated an impressive record of 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games, along with clinching two league titles.

Despite his noteworthy performance in Ligue 1, Messi's time there was marred by animosity from a portion of disgruntled fans. Accusations that Messi was hindering PSG's progress were leveled against him.

Eventually, as his contract extension option lay untapped, Messi chose to become a free agent in the summer. While he received interest from his former club Barcelona, he opted not to wait for them to secure the financial means for a potential return. Instead, he directed his talents towards Major League Soccer in the United States.

Since his move to the U.S., Messi has revitalised a struggling Inter Miami team, leading them to triumph in the Leagues Cup by netting ten goals in seven matches. He also contributed two more assists in the US Open Cup semi-final, propelling his team toward further silverware.

Messi has candidly stated that his decision to relocate to Miami was rooted in his yearning to rediscover joy in football after a period in Paris that left both him and his family unsatisfied.

"It was a family decision, trying to look out for what's best for the family," he said.

"We'd had a difficult two years, we hadn't been well, it cost us.

"[The Miami move] was to go back a little to what we were when we were in Barcelona, enjoying the day-to-day, being well as a family, enjoying football every day, which was not happening for me.

"We decided this was going to be that place for many reasons and today, after a while, we know we were not wrong."