Lionel Messi's next club has now been officially revealed!
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has decided to join United States club Inter Miami in a reported two-year deal after spending two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain.
Read: Lionel Messi 'makes decision' on his future
"I will not return to Barcelona, I will join Inter Miami," Messi said in a joint interview with SPORT and Mundo Deportivo.
"I really wanted to return, I was very excited to be able to return, but, on the other hand, after having experienced what I experienced when I left, I didn't want to be in the same situation again. I didn't want to leave my future in someone else's hands.
"Although I heard that it was said that LaLiga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for me to return, there were still many other things that had to happen.
"I heard that Barcelona had to sell players or lower player salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that."
I wanted to make my own decision and that's why I didn't return to Barca. Although I would have loved it, it couldn't be."
The decision comes after months of speculation, with more recent reports suggesting he was destined for a return to FC Barcelona after his agent and father Jorge Messi met with Joan Laporta earlier this week.
However, despite positive talks between the aforementioned two parties and LaLiga reportedly approving the Blaugrana's financial plan for the next two years, Messi has now chosen to join the team co-owned by David Beckham instead, with it said that the MLS put together a package with adidas and Apple that would see him earn a profit share from both companies, as well as an acquisition of part of the club's shares after his retirement.
With the Argentine already owning property in Miami, it is further claimed that he felt he could not wait for Barcelona to guarantee him that they could successfully sign and register him for the 2023/24 campaign.
It is also believed he eliminated Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal, who had offered him an astronomical deal worth a reported €500 million (R10.2 billion) a year, as a next destination earlier this week.
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