What did Messi say?
“I always had the idea of playing in MLS in my head and I said it more than once. It was something that caught my attention and I wanted to do it,” Messi said about his decision to join Inter Miami from PSG in July 2023, in an exclusive interview on Apple TV broadcast on March 1.
“Coming to Inter Miami was an opportunity, and as it turned out, in my last years in Paris (France), although it was a decision I had to make immediately because I had to leave Barcelona, it was two years I didn’t like it, I wasn’t happy with the training sessions and the matches every day. It was difficult for me to adapt to all that, and I wanted to come to Inter Miami because it was a club that was growing. I was attracted by the idea of coming here and helping this club become bigger. Moreover, I knew it was a city where my family and I would be fine, and I don’t regret it, on the contrary, I think it was the right time,” Messi added.
Messi is in his third season with Inter Miami in MLS (American professional soccer league), and his second full season. He has helped the team win two championship titles for the first time in the club’s history, the Leagues Cup and the Supporters’ Shield, helping increase its value to $1.2 billion (up 100%) compared to 2023. This year, the star player aims to win the MLS Cup, the team’s only remaining trophy.
“I think it’s a very dynamic and physical league, where teams always want to score and play offensively. There are a lot of high-scoring games, and that has to do a little bit with the country we’re in and the sports they’re used to, where there’s usually a lot of performances, a lot of points, a lot of attacks. The league has been growing, and I’m sure this won’t stop,” Messi said of MLS.
“Hopefully the clubs will see what happened with Inter Miami and we can all continue to grow and make the league even bigger and more important. I think it’s an opportunity for MLS to make a change in world football and continue to grow,” Messi explained.
“About my future? Right now I feel fine and I’m just enjoying every moment of my career. I’m enjoying everything at the club, the games, my teammates, my family, my friends… I’m not expecting anything. I’m just loving and enjoying every moment.
I’ve always been myself, even now. When I’m home, I live the life of a father and spend time with my family, my children. My life is very simple, normal. In my opinion, this is always the best way to live,” Messi added.
Al Nassr loses to newly promoted team, Ronaldo leaves Saudi Pro League championship race
On March 1, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr club lost 1-2 to newly promoted Al Orubah, almost extinguishing their chances of winning the Saudi Pro League. This was a match in which the 40-year-old Portuguese star played below his best, with very few touches of the ball, and if he did, he was unable to convert his chances into goals.
The absence of striker Jhon Duran (due to a penalty card) made coach Stefano Pioli’s team only rely on Ronaldo, but all that brought only disappointment due to the clumsiness of this famous player, when his physical strength and form were on the decline.
The defeat left Al Nassr nine points behind current leaders Al Ittihad and four points behind second-placed Al Hilal, looking all but out of the Saudi Pro League title race.
Al Nassr’s current goal is to maintain third place to qualify for next season’s AFC Champions League, but in the second division, instead of the top two in the group.
