"I think he saw it from the family side" - Sergio Aguero explains why Lionel Messi picked Inter Miami over Saudi Arabia
Serio Aguero believes that Lionel Messi thought about his family's convenience while choosing Inter Miami instead of reigniting his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Aguero added that the duo might be tired of high-level football and thus decided to try the new leagues.
Messi moved to Inter Miami last month after rejecting a world-record contract from Al Hilal. The Saudi Arabian side were ready to offer €500 million per season, but the Argentine opted to play in the MLS.
Speaking to Stake.com, Aguero claimed that Messi chose Miami over the Middle East because of his family.
“I think that at the end of this stage, with the age that Leo [Lionel Messi] and Cristiano are, and many players aged 32 and 33, maybe they are tired of so much demand to be at a high level," Aguero said. "I think that Leo opted for him and his family to be well and to be able to play as relaxed as possible; and in the other case if he had been playing in Europe, obviously that the requirement is different and so he can’t play his last years the way he wanted, which is to enjoy, right?
He added:
“And obviously, I think that between Miami and Arabia, I think he chose Miami for convenience. Miami is a nice place, there are lots of Latinos, and I think he also saw it from the family side, which I think they can fit quite well in Miami, and in Arabia it can be more complicated, right? I think he saw nothing more than that."
"It’s each one’s decisions, but Cristiano, maybe he’s a different player than Leo and he has made a decision to go to Arabia for other reasons that he will surely know about," Aguero said. "But in the end after all knowing Leo I know more or less which way he comes from, I don’t know Cristiano very well and I can’t say his reasons either, right?”
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo helping their respective clubs
Lionel Messi has been in top form since joining Inter Miami earlier this summer. The Argentine has scored five goals in three Leagues Cup matches so far.
The former PSG star first scored a stunning 94th-minute free kick on his debut to win the match 2-1 against Cruz Azul. Lionel Messi scored a brace in the next two matches and helped Inter Miami make it to the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo scored an 87th-minute goal against Zamalek to help Al-Nassr make it to the next round of the Arab Club Champions Cup.