Fabrizio Romano Provides a Reason Why Messi Chose Inter Miami Over Saudi Arabia

Last year, Saudi Arabian teams caused a real furore in the transfer window. After Al-Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo in December, other teams also went for other top players, including Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves, Fabinho, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

After announcing his decision to leave PSG, it was believed that Lionel Messi would also be a primary candidate for the Saudis. However, as Fabrizio Romano notes, the Argentinean player had already intended to move to Inter Miami.

There were several reasons. First, he wanted to be closer to his former teammates, such as Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. Second, living in the United States was a preferable option for Messi’s family and himself.

Romano also adds that he had the opportunity to create a legacy with Inter Miami, while moving to Saudi Arabia might have been less prestigious.

There is no question that the Saudi Pro League has better profiles and several high-profile names, but Messi’s arrival in the MLS raised its popularity to the maximum. Attendance at Inter Miami’s games is at the highest, not to mention the number of jerseys that have already been sold.

Had Messi chosen Saudi Arabia, we could have seen the same that happened to Karim Benzema. Right now, Messi is one of the most prolific scorers and leaders of the team.