“I am very excited” – Lionel Messi makes honest admission about Inter Miami chapter ahead of debut next month
Lionel Messi has admitted that he is very excited about playing in the MLS with Inter Miami. He added that the focus is now on his vacation with his family for the next few days before he heads off to the United States.
Messi was in Argentina this week to play in Riquelme's farewell match. He was excited to play with his idol and had to postpone his vacation by a few days to play at the La Bombonera.
Speaking after the match, Messi stated that he was looking forward to the vacation with his family right now. He will then proceed to shift to the United States and start his Inter Miami career. He said via ESPN:
"It is a very nice feeling to have been able to be at [Riquelme's] testimonial, with all that he means for football in Argentina, what he means to Boca, to be once again in 'La Bombonera'. Now there will be a few days of vacation and then I will start in my new city, my new club (Inter Miami), I am very excited."
Earlier in the summer, Messi stated that the decision to join Inter Miami was taken by his family and he was happy with it. He said:
"We are satisfied and happy for what is coming with a lot of desire and enthusiasm for this new stage."
Messi is expected to make his debut in July when he returns from vacation.
Lionel Messi wanted Barcelona but switched focus to Inter Miami
Lionel Messi has confirmed that he wanted to return to Barcelona after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, but had to make the decision of joining Inter Miami. He did not want to wait and see if the Catalan club could afford to sign him. He also did not want more players to take wage cuts and lose their position in the squad to accommodate him.
Speaking to SPORT, Messi admitted that he wanted to leave Europe if things were not working out with Barcelona. He said:
"I made the decision that I'm going to go to Miami. I still haven't closed it 100%. I'm still missing a few things, but we decided to go ahead. If Barcelona didn't work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family."
Marca have reported that Lionel Messi had an offer from Al Hilal on his table, but he rejected it. He was offered a world-record €500 million per season by the Saudi Arabian side.