Guillem Balague is a Spanish football journalist, author, and pundit who has also penned an autobiography of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. It can be said that Balague is an expert in all things Lionel Messi and on Wednesday has tweeted out where the Argentine will play next.
The decision as to where Lionel Messi will continue his career began with three on the table, MLS/Inter Miami, Barcelona, and a mega move to Saudi Arabia. As the hours and days passed it was confirmed that Messi had no plans to play in the Middle East and that Barcelona’s best efforts would not be enough to accommodate the World Cup winner.
According to Balague, all roads lead to Inter Miami as he tweeted out, “Messi has decided. His destination: Inter Miami”. It will be one of the biggest signings in American sports history.
The impact of Lionel Messi to MLS
MLS has long looked for the holy grail, that player that will elevate the league to another level. In 2007 that was David Beckham, but the reality of the Beckham signing was a last-ditch effort to save the league from bankruptcy. It did and MLS has flourished into a competitive and important destination for many across the world.
It has also become a consistent selling league, one where players are now moving for upwards of $25 million in transfer fees. Messi’s arrival, one that will rival Pele’s when he joined the New York Cosmos, will without question give MLS the greatest soccer player of all time.
Now at the tail end of his career Messi is far from done, he wants to play in the upcoming Copa America and possibly get to the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Also, Messi will automatically be in the conversation of superstars such as LeBron James, Mike Trout, and Patrick Mahomes across all of the American sporting landscape.
