Lionel Messi confessed about why he went to America, not the center of soccer.
Inter Miami will play the 2023 Leagues Cup Final against Nashville SC at Giodas Park in Nashville, USA on the 20th at 10:00 am (Korean time). Miami challenges the first championship trophy in the club’s history.토토사이트
Messi held a pre-press conference ahead of the most important game since the founding of Inter Miami. After Messi moved to the United States, he performed tremendously and received worldwide attention, but this was the first time he held a press conference.
There were many expectations that Messi would show performance beyond imagination in the American Professional Soccer League (MLS). But, as always, Messi has done more than fans could have imagined. Messi, who scored a dramatic debut goal in the debut game against Cruz Azul, changed Inter Miami 180 degrees.
Until Messi came, Inter Miami’s competitiveness was at the bottom of the league. In MLS, which is divided into East and West, Inter Miami was staying at the bottom of the East. It was showing the worst performance of 3 draws and 8 losses in 11 league matches.
However, with the signing of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami quickly rose to the league’s highest level of competitiveness. Messi stands out by far. Following his debut goal, he scored 2 goals (1 assist) against Atlanta United, 2 goals against Orlando City, 2 goals against Dallas, 1 goal against Charlotte, and 1 goal against Philadelphia, exploding a total of 9 goals and 1 assist in 6 games.
Miami, the last team in the league, reached the final of the Leagues Cup without a hitch. Messi was also happy with his choice to move to Inter Miami. “It’s good to have another game to continue my happiness. I’m very happy now, and I said that from the beginning. I decided to come to this city, and it was a decision I made over time. It wasn’t a decision made overnight, so everything is a lot easier. lost,” he said.
In fact, everyone expressed regret when Messi decided to leave Europe, the center of football, and move to the United States, where football is not the best sport. This is because Messi’s play, which was ranked among the best players in football history through the 2022 Qatar International Football Federation (FIFA) World Cup, could no longer be seen on the world’s highest level.
But Messi was convinced that the MLS league was growing rapidly. “Growth is up to the league. It is an ideal moment to grow. Important competitions in the United States are approaching (Copa America 2024, FIFA World Cup 2026 North and Central America). It is time for the league to leap forward and find what it has been pursuing for so long. Everything is ready to witness football,” he said, wishing MLS league success.
Messi also admitted that teams in the MLS league are developing rapidly. He said: “The USA have been a great team at the World Cup too. They have been very competitive. This Leagues Cup proves it too. There is no Mexican team in the final. Any team can beat any other team. They are competitive, they are fierce. Everyone is strong at home, . It’s difficult on the road,” he said, evaluating the MLS league.
Still, it is true that the MLS league is small for Messi. Because it’s not the best stage in the world. However, Messi confessed that he made the choice for his family rather than his career.
He said, “I made a decision based on a lot of things. I thought a lot and decided with my family. I came here to continue to enjoy football. I chose this place because it is a place I have enjoyed playing football. Not only the results on the pitch, but also my family’s daily life. I am very happy with my life. I am enjoying the welcome of the city and the fans. They welcome me not only in Miami but all over the United States. I went on an expedition to Dallas and the treatment was amazing. So I am grateful for this moment.” said about
In fact, if Messi had wanted the money, he could have made other choices. When Messi decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), one of the clubs that wanted Messi the most was Al-Hilal, which was backed by Saudi Arabia’s oil money capital.
Al-Hilal offered Messi the highest salary in football history. The initial offer reached a whopping 400 million euros (approximately 582.9 billion won). When Messi pondered Al-Hilal’s offer, he raised the offer to 500 million euros (approximately 728.7 billion won). That was 2.5 times what Cristiano Ronaldo was getting at Al Nasr.
But at the time, Messi’s return to Barcelona was the only option. Barcelona have publicly pushed for Messi to return. Barcelona, who had forced the club’s greatest player to leave for lack of money, wanted to undo their mistake.
Barcelona coach Xabi Hernández said: “I have no doubt that Messi will help us when he returns. I have also informed the Barcelona president (Juan Laporta). Messi is still a great player, he is still hungry, he is still a winner and a player with leadership. “He said that he directly asked the club to return to Messi.
Barcelona also ‘publicly’ promoted Messi’s return. Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, met with Laporta and negotiated. However, Barcelona are still in financial trouble and have not made an official offer.
Messi, whose pain from two years ago still lingers, could no longer wait for Barcelona. “I wanted to go back (to Barcelona),” Messi said after deciding to move to Inter Miami in June. “I didn’t want to leave my future to you. I wanted to decide my future myself. Even if Spanish La Liga approved it, there were so many things to do. I had to lower the team’s salary or sell players, but I didn’t want to do that.” I have confessed that it was difficult.
Remaining at PSG was not even an option for Messi. because I wasn’t happy. “I’m happy to enjoy the experience of living in a new stage and country. It’s always captured my heart. We’re where we wanted to be. I didn’t want to go to PSG myself. It was hard because I didn’t want to leave Barcelona.”
When a return to Barcelona became impossible, Messi made a choice for his family. He wanted his family to live a happier life than an unimaginable annual salary of close to 500 million euros. It was because the family was also hurt a lot at PSG.
But that doesn’t mean Messi is getting a small salary at Inter Miami. According to data released by France’s ‘Le Parisien’ on the 16th, Messi, who is active at Inter Miami, will receive 45 million euros (approximately 65.7 billion won). This is equivalent to the 6th highest paid person in the world.
It’s a huge amount, but Inter Miami is enjoying the mesh effect. American ‘Yahoo Sports’ praised, “The weakest player in MLS continues to create surprising twists. Messi has been absolute since joining Miami and has transformed Miami into a championship candidate.”
The effect of promoting the club is greater than the ripple effect in the stadium. According to the US’ESPN’, after Messi’s transfer, the frequency of searching Inter Miami on Google increased by more than 1200%. It was such an unprecedented transfer.
When Messi debuted at Inter Miami and showed good performance, orders for Messi-related products and Inter Miami products began to flood. It became the club that sold the most products in MLS, and the purchase rate was more than 50% higher than other clubs. After Messi’s recruitment official came out, Inter Miami’s product purchases are said to have increased more than 50 times.
Uniform sales figures prove this. ESPN’ noted that Messi’s popularity was beyond imagination, saying, “Messi’s jersey sales on the first day of Inter My Mae recorded the highest in history among players who changed their team across all sports.”
Only three players came close to Messi. When Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Manchester United in 2021, when Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks in professional football history, moves to Tampa Bay in 2020, and when LeBron James, one of the best basketball players in basketball history, moves to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. when you did
All three players are indispensable players in the history of each sport. But no record has been greater than Messi, the GOAT of football. Inter Miami is expected to see a significant increase in revenue due to a surge in inquiries about Messi-related products.
It is known that the number of soccer fans around the world who are interested in MLS has skyrocketed. Inter Miami is enjoying 200% of the Messi effect on and off the field.