FC Barcelona Legend Lionel Messi Confesses He Never Wanted To Join PSG

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has confessed he never wanted to join Paris Saint-Germain and leave FC Barcelona during a press conference held with one of the biggest media outlets from his homeland Argentina, TyC Sports.

Messi turned down a second stint in Catalonia in June when deciding to cross the Atlantic for a new challenge in the MLS.

He has gotten off to a roaring start in Florida, scoring nine goals in six appearances and guiding his new team to the Leagues Cup final set to be played against Nashville on Saturday night.

The 36-year-old and his family are clearly enjoying their new life Stateside, which Messi confessed to in his first formal appearance before the media since switching allegiances to the David Beckham and Jorge Mas owned franchise.

“We are still finishing getting settled, we arrived in Miami a month and a half ago,” Messi explained.

“We still don’t have the house which we are going to live in, but it was very easy to choose [Miami]. We were convinced to come to this place and the people made it very easy, both at the club since we arrived and the fans or the people I meet on the street.

“The city is spectacular and makes it possible for you to live the day quietly and very easily. The children start school soon. While there is little left [to do], it was easier than we thought. It had been complicated [moving] from Barcelona to Paris.

“I’m happy, enjoying this new stage and the experience of living in this country that is something that always crossed my mind. We are in the place where we want to be,” Messi confessed, before sticking the knife into former club PSG who he left a free agent in late June.

“Me going to Paris was neither planned nor desired. I did not want to leave Barcelona and it became difficult. But it is the opposite of what is happening to me now thanks to God,” the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner added.

That Messi didn’t wish to flee his boyhood club of over 20 years was made evident in a tearful farewell press conference at the Camp Nou auditorium in the summer of 2021.

Though Messi had intended to extend his contract, which president Joan Laporta promised he would on the election trail that spring, the Catalans ultimately fell short of securing their greatest ever player because of problems navigating Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits which paved the way for him to join PSG for free.

FFP also proved troublesome in 2023, and Messi said when revealing his Inter Miami move to the Catalan media that he did not want to wait around for the Blaugrana to get their house in order as they failed to do last time round.

Messi and his clan now seem to be in better spirits in the U.S. than they were in the French capital, with Mas tipping him to become a Michael Jordan-esque figure that will help his beloved sport grow on American soil and become one of the top three soccer leagues in the world during an interview with El Pais .