Messi chooses his new club ...and it's bad news for Barca!

Lionel Messi has decided to move to Major League Soccer side, Inter Miami.

Messi’s preferred destination has always been to return to Barcelona, but due to their financial situation, they can’t afford to pay his wages.

This is the second time Barcelona have been unable to sign Messi due to their very badly managed finances. As Guillem Balague writes, "the Financial Fair Play limitations that will be in place for next season in La Liga made any ambitious plan to bring him back an impossibility."

There seem to be lots of reasons why Messi will join the Miami-based franchise, firstly, he already owns a home there which he currently rents out.

According to Guillem Balague, writing for the BBC, moving to America will give Messi the opportunity to, “deal with big brands that extends beyond football”

According to The Athletic, Messi has been offered a share of MLB Season Pass revenue, which will allow fans to stream games via Apple TV.

There have been rumours for some time that Inter Miami owner, David Beckham, has been wanting to sign Messi, and with this decision, the Englishman gets his wish.

The MLS has been somewhat of a retirement home for football superstars over the years, with players like Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale all starring in America.

Messi's time at PSG wasn't always a true showcase of his talent, with his first season only scoring six league goals. But the 2022/23 season saw a return to form for the Argentine, with 16 goals and 16 assists in the league. Now he will be playing in a weaker league and should be able to rack up the goals.

According to Guillem Balague, Messi was, "set to reject a more lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal."

PSG coach, Christophe Galtier, announced in his Thursday press conference: Leo Messi is leaving the Parisian club. The Argentinian star is ready to say his goodbye slightly ahead of schedule.

"This Saturday will be his last game at the Parc des Princes, and I hope he receives the warmest of farewells," Galtier said.

Messi's move is slightly ahead of schedule, with his contract expiring on the 30th June, but ultimately Messi and PSG's relationship had been breaking down for some time.

For many weeks (or months), communication between PSG and Messi was broken, unable to reach any sort of agreement about a new contract.

With Messi's Argentina side winning the FIFA World Cup back in December 2022, there is a good chance Messi may win yet another Balon d'Or trophy, which would make him the first player to win the award whilst playing in the MLS.

FIFA agent Marco Kirdemir ruled out the option of going to Barcelona in an interview on Radio Marca, "He's not going to go to Barcelona. He wants to come back when he retires," he said.