Lionel Messi did not hide that joining the Saudi League in the Mercato last summer was an option strongly on his table, but in the end, he chose to go to a new experience in the United States of America with Inter Miami.
With the expiration of the Argentine international's contract with Paris Saint-Germain, the Saudi club Al-Hilal tried to include him and gave him a fantastic financial offer, in addition to other attempts from Barcelona to return him to Camp Nou, before Al-Barghout decided to fulfill his dream of playing in America.
In an interview with the American newspaper Time, Messi revealed the scenes of that stage, saying, “My priority last summer was to return to Barcelona, but it did not go well.”
He also added, "Yes, I thought a lot about joining the Saudi League. It is a very strong league and could be an important league in the near future."
He continued, "Saudi Arabia was a destination that attracted me. I am a tourism ambassador there, and I enjoyed everything I visited there and I am well aware of how football is growing there and the great effort they are making to create a tournament of elite football stars."
Messi concluded by saying that he chose between Saudi Arabia and America, and in the end his decision was to move to Inter Miami.
The 36-year-old succeeded in leading Inter Miami to achieve the League Cup title, the first championship in the history of the American club, and he also won the Best Athlete of the Year award for 2023 presented by the American newspaper Time.
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