Lionel Messi: Inter Miami Owner Discloses When Club Started Tracking World Cup Winner

• Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami after the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract
• He turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia to move to the Major League Soccer
• Club co-owner Jorge Mas has opened up on when the club started tracking the veteran

Inter Miami co-owner, Jorge Mas, has opened up on the details of Lionel Messi’s transfer to the Major League Soccer franchise, admitting he was on the club's radar for some time.

Messi has joined the Miami-based side, also co-owned by David Beckham, after choosing not to renew his Paris Saint-Germain contract after two years in the French capital.

He shockingly left Barcelona in 2021 after La Blaugrana were unable to register his new contract due to financial constraints, and turned down a chance to make a fairy tale return.

NBC Sports reported the 36-year-old also turned down a lucrative three-year offer from Saudi Arabia that could have earned him over a billion dollars.

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Football

How Inter Miami signed Messi

Mas has since opened up on when the club started tracking Messi, how long it took to convince him, what it took, and the financial details of the transfer.

“I spent three years on it, a year and a half very intensely. There were many conversations with [Messi’s father and agent] Jorge. David [Beckham] talked to Leo, only about football issues, because he was a player,” Mas told El Pais.

Mas explained he oversaw the finalising of the deal at the end of May.

“I didn’t want him to feel under pressure. We spoke in Barcelona, Miami, Rosario, Doha... I spent the whole World Cup in Qatar, watching Argentina.”

Inter Miami's co-owner added the Argentine would earn a base salary of $50-60 million and also has an income-sharing agreement with Adidas and Apple Live Pass.

Messi gets world’s largest mural

Sports Brief previously reported on Messi being honoured with a mural in his home province of Santa Fe, Argentina, in honour of his exploits at the World Cup.

Andres Iglesias made the 75x40-metre painting with a picture of the veteran holding the World Cup trophy, with the image said to be the world's largest mural.