The mystery is over. Lionel Messi will play in MLS Inter Miami. He will play in the third country of his career after serving in the Spanish and French leagues: USA. And there are many reasons for this decision.

As well as having to do with the obstacles conspiring against his return to Barcelona, ​​which was the priority for Messi and his family both sportingly and humanitarianly, the situation required definition and that’s when the Argentine leaned towards Florida before for Arab. football or even a continuation in Europe although, of course, at another club.

Why did Messi choose Inter Miami and MLS?

There is one reason that stands out in all this context: the comfort of the star. Not only because of the first choice, which was to return to his home for a large part of his life, but because of what will ultimately be a refusal in other places, such as Saudi Arabia (where he even has commercial relations).

One could even mention the Premier League, which also has clubs with enough financial power to pay for a contract like Messi’s. Or can anyone believe that Leo will play for Inter because he has no other choice? There would be no shortage of offers and approaches, even those that have not come to light.

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Messi had already stated that the USA was a country that seduced him and in which he would like to live. The state of Florida, perhaps the one with the most Latin flavor thanks to its vast community, seemed like the ideal choice for crack to create a place as similar to a home as possible.

After winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup and fulfilling the big dream of his life, it sounds hard to think of bigger motivations for a Messi who is already 35 years old and has won everything. Which is not to say he won’t continue to play at the top: the competitiveness of this class of players is immune to the passage of time. It is unalterable, even when they move away from professionalism. Another Argentine like Manu Ginóbili has already said it: he wants to keep winning in everything, even when playing with his friends.

Of course, in MLS there won’t be as alluring goals or as high a demand as those that could be found in a Champions League, but the eye seems to be more focused. Messi won’t ask MLS to become Super Star League. And MLS won’t ask Messi to be the Messi he was 10 years ago. I probably won’t even ask him to be the one he was a few months ago in Qatar. The only ones who will claim him (and nothing could matter less) will be those haters who doubt him playing there. For Leo and for the club, instead, he envisions a very relaxed relationship in which both allow themselves to enjoy mutual benefits.

Next year the United States will host a Copa America and, two years later, a World Cup that Messi might have said might not come, but no one would ever dare rule it out. And there it all makes even more sense: living in the country will save Leo (and his physique, subjected to the highest demands in the world for almost two decades) kilometers and miles of travel and hustle and bustle that weigh much more at this point in his career how long ago

He will also have his family with him almost all the time. Just like he had in Qatar, but every day. Even when it comes to Messi, perhaps the most famous person on the entire planet, it’s hard to imagine a life hidden from everything. Of course, we won’t expect you to stroll down Ocean Drive like every other kid in the neighborhood either, but you’ll be in a place where the locals won’t be (so) crazy about your presence. And this tranquility is nothing less. It’s time for Messi to enjoy from here until he says goodbye to North America in 2026 or whenever he decides.