The Lionel Messi free agent sweepstakes came to an end on Wednesday, as the Argentine forward revealed that he agreed to join Inter Miami. Messi will reportedly earn €47 million per year on his contract with the MLS side.
Messi was linked with Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal for weeks. Al-Hilal’s final offer to the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner reportedly centered on a blockbuster three-year, $1.5 billion deal.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Messi took some time to touch on his call to join Inter Miami. He noted that at the end of the day, his free agency decision was not about the money because if it was, he would have opted to take his talents to Al-Hilal “or somewhere else.”
“If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Arabia or somewhere else,” Messi said.
“It seemed like a lot of money, and the truth is that my decision was for another reason and not for money.”
Barring a change of plans down the road, Messi’s career in Europe has come to a close. He scored a combined 704 goals in all competitions with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
