It is confirmed. Lionel Messi is on his way to Major League Soccer to join Inter Miami, turning down the offer a huge contract in Saudi Arabia to move to the United States instead.
Messi, 35, has decided his next move after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his two-year contract and confirmed he is set to join Miami, with a return to Barcelona an impossibility because of the ongoing financial troubles at the Nou Camp.
"I've taken the decision that I am going to Miami," Messi told newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.
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"[I decided] to leave Europe."
He added: "It's true that I had offers from another European team but I didn't even think about it because in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona.
"After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.
"Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to win, and to do things well, but with more calm."
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Messi will be the biggest name to ever play in the MLS, surpassing the likes of Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale and David Beckham, the latter a co-owner of Inter Miami.
Messi is familiar with Inter, having used the club's training centre in September along with the rest of the Argentina squad ahead of their World Cup warm-up match against Honduras at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Messi would go on to score twice in the game, including a magnificent chip, to secure a 3-0 win for Argentina.
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In the days after the game, Messi revisited the training ground to meet some of Inter's players β including his former international teammate Gonzalo Higuain.
Among those to speak to Messi was Inter's Argentine goalkeeper Ranieri, who asked the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to sign his arm.
Messi sportingly agreed and Ranieri wasted no time in making it permanent, getting a tattoo of the signature inked the following day. Check out the video above.
Later posting a picture of his new tattoo on Instagram, Ranieri wrote: "The best day ever. I fulfilled a dream yesterday. Shared the pitch with the players I admire, with my national team.
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"Met my idol, the best player ever, an incredible person on and off the pitch, my role model! The excitement to see you and see that you agreed to sign my arm is indescribable.
"Leo you fulfilled a dream and every day I look at my arm I will remember the excitement I felt when I met you.
"I can't put into words how great you are! So much sacrifice and so many things left aside, to live dreams like the one I got to live yesterday.
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"The opportunities this sport is giving me! Now more than ever, let's continue with everything!"
Unfortunately, Ranieri will not get the chance to be club teammates with Messi, having left Inter to join Florida Atlantic University's side in February.
But he has reacted positively to the news of Messi's imminent arrival in Miami, posting a picture of the pair together to Instagram along with the caption: "Sonando despierto", which translates as "daydreaming".
Featured Image Credit: Alamy & Instagram/franranieri04 & Twitter/transfersTopics:Β Argentina, Lionel Messi, Football, Inter Miami, MLS