Messi never wanted PSG, says he is happier at Inter Miami

Lionel Messi did not mince words when he admitted during a press conference on Thursday that he never wanted to join Paris-Saint Germain FC in 2021. Furthermore, he said that he has the opposite feeling now that he has signed for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami in the United States.

"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 Argentina captain said, as quoted by TyC Sports.

Messi's Barcelona exit was devastating to him and his fans

In the summer of 2021, the entire football world expected Barcelona and Messi to come to a quick agreement regarding the player's contract extension. Earlier that year, Joan Laporta made it clear during his bid for the club presidency that his number one priority would be to keep Messi at the Camp Nou.

However, Laporta soon found out about the club's debt that had gone past 1.3 billion euros at that time. Despite his best efforts to inject cash into the club and offload players, they simply weren't able to make enough room to stay within La Liga's Financial Fair Play regulations.

Messi had not planned to leave at that time, and had the rug pulled under him when Barcelona informed him that they could not offer him a new contract. With cash limited across most of European football due to the pandemic, very few clubs could have realistically been able to afford the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, even if he was coming as a free agent.

Needless to say, the quick decision from PSG gave Messi an escape route, but he has now admitted that it was something he never wanted to do. He also described the move to Paris from Barcelona as "complicated" and made it clear that he and his family were not happy during their two-year stay at the French capital.

At the end of the 2022/23 season, his contract with PSG expired and it was clear that it would not be extended. His relationship with some of the club's fans had become hostile, and he was even suspended by PSG for taking a non-sanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia. A Barcelona comeback was touted, but the Blaugrana still had financial issues and Messi was not about to make the same mistake twice.

Instead of waiting, he decided to join Inter Miami and move his family back to the Americas. He also turned down a lucrative deal from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, but he insists that he has made the right decision.

The United States is enchanted by Messi's magic

Messi arrived in Florida just over a month ago, and he hit the ground running. He has already scored nine goals in just six appearances for Inter Miami, sending football fans in a frenzy all across the United States.

In such a short period of time, he has transformed Inter Miami into the most talked-about club in the continent, and has led them to the Leagues Cup final. He will have his chance to lift the club's first silverware on Saturday night when they face Nashville in the final. It will be a fairytale if they win, but victory isn't a given and it remains to be seen if someone can finally stop Inter Miami's winning streak since the Argentine talisman's arrival.

The move to Miami was much easier than expected

Even though Messi is from Argentina, he has spent most of his life living in Barcelona after joining the club's youth academy as a teenager. He spent two decades there before moving to Paris, which is just a few hours away.

However, he revealed that the move to Miami was a lot easier even though they have not yet fully settled into their new home. Last week, he was spotted house hunting with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and one of their sons, but it seems that they have not chosen their primary residence yet.

It has to be noted that Messi does own a number of luxury apartments in the area, but it looks like he wants a bigger home where his family can stay on a more permanent basis. However, their primary residence will likely still be in Barcelona.

"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," he said during the same press conference.

He revealed that his children will start school soon, and the move was generally easy for the entire family. He is even said to be studying English so that he can communicate better with his new teammates.

"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," he said.

More shade thrown in the direction of France

Apart from throwing shade at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi also stated that he does not give much importance to the Ballon d'Or, which is the annual award given by France Football. It is seen as the most prestigious individual award for footballers, but Messi believes that collective trophies are far more special.

"I said it many times throughout my career, the Ballon d'Or is one of the most beautiful [prizes] on an individual level. [But] I never gave it importance, because for me the most important [trophies] are the collective [ones], at a group level."