Messi: Why I Won’t Return To Barcelona

Jun 8, 2023 - 01:14 pm

By Kurt Buckerfield

Lionel Messi has revealed which club he is joining next and why he will not be returning to Barcelona following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

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In an interview with Spanish publications Sport and Mundo Deportivo, the 35-year-old broke his silence over his future after his exit from PSG was confirmed this past weekend.

It was believed that he would making a stunning return to the Catalan giants ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, a move that has now fallen through.

Messi is soon expected to be announced as a new signing by MLS side Inter Miami, the side co-owned by legendary footballer David Beckham, but he has looked to clear up the recent uncertainty surrounding his future.

"I will not return to Barcelona, I will join Inter Miami," he said.

"I really wanted to return, I was very excited to be able to return, but, on the other hand, after having experienced what I experienced when I left, I didn't want to be in the same situation again. I didn't want to leave my future in someone else's hands.

"Although I heard that it was said that La Liga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for me to return, there were still many other things that had to happen.

"I heard that Barcelona had to sell players or lower player salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that."

I wanted to make my own decision and that's why I didn't return to Barça. Although I would have loved it, it couldn't be."

With his impending switch to the United States, the seven-time Ballon d'Or calls time on an 18-year stay in Europe, during which he won 43 trophies at club level. Perhaps is career-defining moment, however, came in December last year when he inspired Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar.

Inter Miami teased fans on social media ahead of Messi's arrival, sharing a clip that seems to poke fun at the prior reports about the superstar's future.