On June 7, news in the transfer window shook the football world: Lionel Messi, recent World Cup winner and the best player to ever play for many, announced his decision to retire from European football and make his move to South Florida’s Inter Miami.

For months, the media speculated that Messi would return to his home club, FC Barcelona, after his two year contract with the French club, PSG, was up. All the Culés were in high hopes to see their all-time favorite player return to wearing the Blaugrana colors, with the entirety of the Camp Nou stadium even chanting Messi’s name at minute ten of every game.

Due to time constraints and wages, Messi decided to make his move away from FC Barcelona in pursuit of something new. In an interview with Diario Sport, the player states his family’s desire and his own to return to the club that gave him everything since 2004, but he also needed change and a balance that he would be unable to receive if he remained in Europe due to its strict competition.

Following the events of great legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., and Karim Benzema pursuing football outside of Europe, Messi decided it was time to leave Paris and make the great move onto his next challenge: play and win with Inter Miami.

Now, living here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Messi plays with the fairly new team, Inter Miami. Since his signing, FC Barcelona club legends and Messi’s former teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have joined the club. Prior to their respective arrivals, Inter Miami had a record of 5-14-3, which was second to last on the board of the Eastern conference. Since the arrival of the Argentinian, the team has lifted their first trophy in the League’s Cup tournament and won twelve games, tied three, and have only lost two, with their most recent match ending in a 1-1 draw at home against New York City FC.

My thoughts

The way I am looking at this, Messi is the bridge between European and American soccer, just like Ronaldo is with Europe and Saudi Arabia. Being the most influential players in the world, they have begun a new movement. Arguably, European football has lost a lot of the quality it had 10 years ago, but this new saga is bringing newer generations to the sport. More Floridians are leaving their house for home games to go support the team, with an exponential influx in the amount of people going to the stadiums to watch these games. Personally, I did not watch the MLS until February of 2023 and even then, I did not watch it with as much rigor as I do now. Lionel Messi has also caused more attention to be brought to the MLS, causing prices to rise across the league as well. Messi’s impact on soccer is undeniable, as he revolutionized the sport and continues to inspire generations old and new with his unmatched talent.