LIONEL Messi has said he is looking forward to beginning a new adventure in the United States of America with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
The 36-year-old Argentina captain will be officially presented as a player for the American club at the end of June when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.
Messi, who has been in Argentina for testimonial games for his compatriots Maxi Rodriguez and Juan Roquelme, did not sign a new deal at PSG at the end of the season and rejected a move to Saudi Arabia reportedly worth around €400m a year.
Speaking to Argentinian Public Television, the Qatar 2022 World Cup-winning captain and Most Valuable Player said: “It is a very nice feeling to have been able to be at [Riquelme’s] testimonial, with all that he means for football in Argentina, what he means to Boca, to be once again in ‘La Bombonera’.
“Now there will be a few days of vacation and then I will start in my new city, my new club (Inter Miami ), I am very excited.”
Messi will be the next global superstar to play in the United States league after the late great Pele in the 1970s and David Beckham in the 2000s.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner began his professional career at Barcelona in 2005, playing 778 games for them in 16 years before leaving for PSG in 2021.
He is Barcelona’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals and 303 assists, and won the UEFA Champions League four times with the Spanish giants, along with multiple LaLiga titles and Copas del Rey.
