08 June 2023 , 13:23
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Lionel Messi may be joined by a former teammate at Inter Miami in the not too distant future if Antoine Griezmann gets his wish of finishing his career in the MLS.
David Beckham has pulled off the biggest coup in the league's after convincing the Argentinian icon to to join his Floridan franchise, seeing off strong competition for his signature from Barcelona and Al-Hilal. Ultimately, the chance to move to the coastal city where he already owns a home proved too hard an offer to refuse as he gets set to experience a new culture with his family.
On the pitch, the Herons have experienced mixed fortunes since their inception, with the weeks prior to the announcement of Messi's impending arrival especially rocky. Until now, the South Beach outfit have been far from convincing this term, with Phil Neville recently dismissed, with his team sitting rock bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.
However, the club's recent sporting woes do not look to have deterred Messi, who is keen to embrace a new challenge stateside after a glittering career in Europe. He explained: "If the Barcelona thing didn’t work out, analysing it, then leaving European football and much more after winning the World Cup, was what I needed to do."
He added: "Closing my career on this side and living the United States league in a different way and enjoying day to day much more but with the same responsibility of wanting to win and always doing things well but with more peace of mind."
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One player who appears to have similar designs when it comes to finishing his career in the US is fellow World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, who has been open to this prospect for a number of years now. Currently of Atletico Madrid, the French attacking midfielder was emphatic when addressing the subject back in 2018, specifically referencing a move to Inter Miami by telling Telematin: "I know where I will be playing in seven years time. It will be in Miami."
Messi is heading to the MLS to join Inter Miami (Getty Images)In truth, the former Barcelona man has been pretty consistent in his messaging in regards to a potential move to join Inter Miami to see out the twilight of his career. In fact, speaking five years ago to French publication L'Equipe (via FourFourTwo), he asserted: "If Beckham wants me in his club, then I'll go."
He added: "I want to finish my career in the U.S. I don't know yet if it's going to be in Miami or Los Angeles. Two great cities. I like the mentality and the show culture of the U.S."
Intriguingly, the 32-year-old star has a contract which lasts until 2026 at the Wanda Metropolitano, meaning that he could well rock up in Miami at the end of this deal — one year after the date he predicted back in 2018. With Beckham looking to open Inter Miami's new state-of-the-art stadium in 2025, it does not seem unthinkable that the stars will eventually align.