Lionel Messi Breaks His Silence on Why He Rejected Barcelona to Join Inter Miami

• Lionel Messi has lifted the lid on his failed return to Barcelona
• Messi was linked with a dream return to Camp Nou
• He has signed for American club Inter Miami after leaving PSG at the end of the 2022-23 season

Lionel Messi has explained why his fairytale return to Barcelona did not materialize despite his desire to be reunited with his former club.

Messi, who left Barcelona for PSG in the summer of 2021 due to the La Liga club's financial constraints, was reportedly keen on retracing his steps for a last dance with La Blaugrana. However, the club's precarious financial status made the deal technically impossible.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner ended up inking a deal with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami after being heavily linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.

Shedding the light on his botched return to Barca, Messi explained:

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"I'd have loved a farewell like Iniesta, Busquets, Jordi Alba, Xavi... this is why I was very happy to hear the chants with my name by Barça fans at Camp Nou. It was a strange feeling to hear Barça fans calling my name, but then...I wasn't there," he said as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

He further stated that the missing ingredients in Barcelona's attempts to convince him to return to Camp Nou made it seemingly impossible for an agreement to be reached without 'hurting' others.

"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".

The 35-year-old continued to stress his dream to return to Barcelona but ultimately pointed out the club's poor financial status.

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"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".

Messi joins Inter Miami

In a related publication, Sports Brief reported that Argentina legend Lionel Messi will join American side Inter Miami after his exit from French champions Paris St-Germain.

The former Barcelona forward is set to reject a more lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

The Miami deal includes collaboration with brands like Adidas and Apple.