Top quotes from Lionel Messi's interview explaning his MLS transfer

The Argentine superstar has confirmed he is joining Inter Miami

After his current deal at Paris Saint-Germain expires, Lionel Messi has announced that he would join MLS team Inter Miami.

It's official: When his deal with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of June, Lionel Messi will sign with MLS team Inter Miami.

In a conversation conducted at his Parisian home with Spanish media outlets SPORT and Mundo Deportivo, the Argentine icon revealed his next move.

In his most recent interview, Lionel Messi explained why he selected Inter Miami over the Saudi club and also admitted that Barcelona did not make him a specific offer.

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“I’m gonna join Inter Miami. The decision is 100% confirmed”.

Speaking about why he rejected moving to the Saudi club:

“If it had been a matter of money, I’d have gone to Arabia or elsewhere. It seemed like a lot of money to me. The truth is that my final decision goes elsewhere and not because of money.”

Lionel Messi on only wanting to join Barcelona:

“I had offers from another European team, but I didn't even evaluate it because in Europe my idea was only to go to Barcelona.”

Messi on his decision to join Inter Miami:

"I've been supporting Barça during the year, I'm a fan. I spoke to Xavi a lot, we discussed and we always had frequent exchanges."

"I really wanted to return to Barça, I had that dream. But after what happened two years ago, I did not want to be in the same situation again, leaving my future in the hands of someone else. I wanted to take my own decision, thinking of me and my family".

"I heard reports of La Liga giving the green light but the truth is that many, really many things were still missing in order to make my return to Barça happen. "I didn't want to be responsible for them to sell players or reduce salaries. I was tired."

Messi on if he will be reunited with his Barcelona teammates:

"Busquets to Inter Miami? This was a lie, saying I was going to the same club as Jordi Alba and Busi. No, we never agreed to join the same club. I made my decision to join Miami and I don't know what they are gonna do".

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Lionel Messi on hoping to get his farewell like his teammates

“Barcelona sent me an offer, but never sent me an official, signed, written offer. One day I would like to have a farewell at Barcelona like Jordi, Busi, Iniesta or Xavi.”

“Yes, obviously I would like to be close to the club. Furthermore, I am going to live in Barcelona. It is one of the things that we are very clear about with my wife and my children.

"I don't know at what moment, or what, or when, but hopefully one day I can contribute something to the club and help because it is a club that I love as I always said. I appreciate the love I had from people during my career and I would like to be here again.”

Lionel Messi on leaving Barcelona on bad terms:

“I couldn't say goodbye to people the way I wanted, which I think I deserve. There was a bad impression, I was the bad guy in the movie and I didn't like it because it wasn't the case.”

“I'm not sure if Barça did everything possible to make it happen, honestly; I just know what Xavi told me. I'm sure that there are people in the club that do NOT want me to return to Barça.”

“A little yes, a little yes... [if the wound from his departure is still open] From what I said before… For not being able to say goodbye to fans as I would have liked… Yes. I think I deserved that.”

Messi on his spell at Paris Saint-Germain:

“I’m ending my career in Paris with mixed sensations. The truth is that the first year was very difficult, as I said on occasion, for different reasons. The second year, the first six months, I felt very, very good, very comfortable in the club, in the city, with my family."

"In the middle was the World Cup and I think the World Cup marked a little to all the teams in general with such an important competition in the middle of the season for the first time. I think it conditioned the season a lot. I was hoping to end in a different way, but well, it was two years, which, in general, were difficult for me, but they are behind me.”

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Messi has now refuted all reports that LaLiga had given the go-ahead to sign the striker and spoken about how journalists had fabricated stories about him and his family. However, the 35-year-old will now start his next adventure at a club in the United States.