Lionel Messi says he is ‘ready and eager’ to play for Inter Miami in MLS

In the same way that when he plays, everyone watches: when Lionel Messi speaks, ears spin like radar dishes to pick up whatever comes out of his mouth. The Inter Miami player spoke for the first time since having his sensational move to MLS confirmed by his new club, appearing in an interview with TV Pública Argentina, in which he opened up on the new challenge that lies ahead in MLS, as well as how things would be now had he not triumphed in Qatar with Argentina.

The ex-PSG player has had something of a turbulent time since his shock exit (even for him) from Barcelona just two seasons ago. He moved, or “had to go” to Paris, as he said recently when it was revealed to him that Barcelona could not actually afford the player to be registered on the books, despite the intent. Two emotionless years in ‘the city of love’ ensued, where Messi was whistled and heartlessly treated like a rebel. Have your opinions, but whistling Messi?

Messi: ‘I want to be remembered as a good person’

Various moves were put on the table way before his PSG exit, with Saudi Arabian millions, sorry, billions, ready to be poured into his bank account at the drop of a hat. Barcelona was the potential future that excited and evoked the most feelings, but the trust was not there: the club are only able to spend 40% of what they can raise and Messi, simply put, was not prepared to wait (again) to see if it could happen. Promises are great, but actions are hard to do.

“The decision was an important step”, Messi said on the move to MLS, “but at the same time I was aware of what it meant, of what I was doing. We are happy.” The sensible option was taken, the one in the middle of the three, with the balance of financial potential, a happy life and a good competition, and there is also the fact that Messi wanted to stay out of controversy, saying “I want to be remembered as a good person, above everything else, more than the sporting aspect.”

‘I enjoyed the World Cup... it could have been my last’

Messi is currently in South-east Asia with the Argentina National team, as they continue to parade around the world of which they are the champions. The forward spoke about the sensational storyline of the 2022 World Cup, and what would have happened had he not won with Lionel Scaloni’s side: “If I’m honest, if we hadn’t won the World Cup, I wouldn’t be playing for the National Team anymore. I can’t leave the National Team just after becoming world champion. I have to enjoy this.”

“Even if I didn’t win it, I had to try,” he continued, “after having won everything at an individual and club level, not having won a World Cup meant there was something that was missing. I enjoyed the Qatar World Cup more than the ones that came before because I knew it could have been my last one.”

“This is hard, I’m not ready for this”, Messi managed to squeeze out as he bid a tearful goodbye to Barcelona; “we are happy with the decision we have taken. I am ready and eager to take on new challenge, this change”, he said on signing for Inter Miami. Things seem to have changed for the better.