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Lionel Messi will play for Inter Miami in MLS next season; heartbreak for Barcelona fans

Legendary forward Lionel Messi will play for Inter Miami in the next MLS season and the Argentine will make an official announcement in the next few hours.

football BREAKING Lionel Messi will play for Inter Miami in MLS next season; heartbreak for Barcelona fans snt
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First Published Jun 7, 2023, 9:40 PM IST

In a massive heartbreak for Barcelona fans, legendary forward Lionel Messi will play for Inter Miami in the next Major League Soccer (MLS) season. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter to confirm the news and added that an official announcement from the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star will be made in the next few hours.

Also read: Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Inside Argentine's luxurious $9 million Miami apartment with car lift

"Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, here we go! The decision has been made and it will be announced by Leo in the next hours #InterMiami. Messi will play in MLS next season. No more chances for Barcelona despite trying to make it happen," Romano stated on Twitter.

Messi has been the subject of much speculation on the matter in recent days, with Barcelona, Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Inter Miami all interested in securing the Argentine's services ahead of next season. However, the David Beckham co-owned side have got the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Argentina's World Cup 2022-winning captain was eager to finalise his choice this week, even though father and agent Jorge Messi on Monday indicated his son intended to play for Barcelona next season. Barcelona was unable to assure Messi that they would be able to sign him for the upcoming season due to their salary cap limits, which seems to have been the deciding factor.

According to reports, Inter Miami's landmark deal with Messi will include a percentage of the money that sponsors of the league will make from his arrival. The former PSG star will earn money from both Adidas and Apple TV as part of the agreement.

Al-Hilal were also interested in a deal, but Messi has chosen Miami because it is a more family-friendly city and the culture shock for his three children and partner Antonella Roccuzzo won't be as severe there. Despite numerous public declarations from different Barcelona officials, Messi's desire to close a deal and their reluctance to provide him with guarantees have prevented the Blaugrana from pulling off a spectacular comeback.

Here's a look at how fans reacted to the news of Messi snubbing Barcelona to join Inter Miami:

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