PARIS: Lionel Messi has turned down as massive offer from Saudi Arabia and the prospect of a regturn to Barcelona to sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.

Argentina’s 35-year-old World Cup-winning inspiration and captain had been thought likely – given his commercial deals with Saudi Arabia – to follow the examples of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema at the end of his two-year contract at Paris Saint-Germain.

However Messi has confirmed that Florida is the next port of all in his brilliant career.

The Major League Soccer side are co-owned by former England captain David Beckham and were founded in 2018, playing their first season two years later.

Miami recently sacked Beckham’s former Manchester United and England team-mate Phil Neville as coach and are currently bottom of the 15-team Eastern Conference.

Messi told Spanish media: “I’m not going back to Barça, I’m going to Inter Miami. I still don’t have it 100pc closed but we decided to continue the path there. I heard that Barcelona would have had to lower wages or sell and I didn’t want to go through all that again like two years ago.

“I am at a moment in my career where I want to get out of focus a bit, think more about my family. I have just spent two years which were so bad at a family level that I did not enjoy it.

“I had that month that was spectacular for me for having won the World Cup but now I want to rediscover myself with the enjoyment, with the enjoyment of my family, my children, from day to day.”

############