Is it the next big game?, Messi chooses America to choose | things | America

Faced with the major choice question of life, while the world was waiting for Messi to make a choice between A and B, he chose C.

On the 7th local time, Messi announced in a media interview that he will join the Major League Baseball Miami International team. Subsequently, the American club also confirmed that Messi was about to join.

This is undoubtedly a heavyweight news in the world of football. Previously, it was widely speculated that Messi would choose between traveling to Saudi Arabia and returning to Barcelona, but ultimately choosing an American club may seem unexpected, but it is actually reasonable.

Between Money and Emotions: Rational Choice

On one side is money - according to media reports, the West Asian powerhouse Riyadh's new moon has offered Messi a sky high price of 1.5 billion euros over three years.

On one side is emotions - Barcelona has Messi's youth, sweat, and glory, and is the second hometown of Argentinians. His love for this city is beyond words.

However, why did Messi choose option C between money and emotion - Miami International, located far away in North America?

"I won't go back to Barcelona, I will join Miami International," Messi said. "I really hope to return to Barcelona, but considering what I experienced when I left, I don't want to be in that situation again - waiting for how things will happen and putting the future in someone else's hands."

In August 2021, Barcelona faced an economic crisis and was unable to meet the financial requirements for renewing Messi's contract, forcing the Argentinian to leave his home team after playing for 21 years. In the two seasons after joining Paris Saint Germain, although he won two Ligue 1 championships with the team, Messi was frequently embroiled in controversy due to the team's failure to make a breakthrough in the Champions League.

"These two years have been very difficult for me," Messi said, so he did not choose to renew his contract with "Paris Saint Germain" and became a free agent at the end of this season.

Messi stated in an interview that if he stays in Europe, he only has one option, which is to return to Barcelona. "In fact, I have received offers from other European clubs, but I have not even considered them because in Europe, I only want to return to Barcelona."

However, Barcelona's path back has always been full of thorns, and the club's top management has different attitudes towards Messi. Signing Messi will disrupt the club's salary balance, and many players even need to reduce their salaries to make room for Messi's salary. Argentinians also expressed that they find it difficult to bear the psychological burden of others sacrificing for themselves.

Although the price offered by the new moon in Riyadh is attractive enough, this option is not the best choice, whether it is in terms of Messi's ability to maintain competitive form or his adaptation to life with his family.

Therefore, although Miami International's annual salary of 50 million euros pales in comparison to the Saudi team's offer, from both a competitive and lifestyle perspective, this is a rational compromise.

"I won the World Cup, but still couldn't return to Barcelona. I chose to go to the United States to continue my football career in a different way," Messi said.

A Big Chess Game: Goal for the 2026 World Cup?

In fact, Messi, his family, and team must have carefully considered before making the choice to join the American Professional League. Therefore, the deeper the observation, the clearer the rationality of this choice becomes.

Firstly, although Messi is about to turn 36 years old, his condition is still in the peak plateau period. From the Qatar World Cup perspective, the more mature Messi remains the absolute core of the Argentine team. If Messi maintains a good competitive form in the next three years, he may still be the most feared attacking player in the World Cup and will still shoulder the hope of the Argentine team.

The 2026 World Cup was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For Messi, adapting to North American customs in advance and even cultivating a large number of fans for himself was undoubtedly an accumulation of geographical and human resources, both for himself and the Argentine team.

Secondly, while the MLB is a paradise for football stars to retire to the second tier, it is not a nursing home. The example of returning to mainstream European leagues from the American Professional League is not uncommon, and the recently retired Ibrahimovic is a good example. In the United States, he can stroll around and return to Europe, where he can also defeat all four sides.

There are reports that Miami International Club has provided Messi with an annual flexible employment option, which clearly lays the groundwork for the Argentine's return to Europe. Due to the end of the American league in winter, Messi is fully capable of returning to the European league in the winter window after playing a season in the American league.

Finally, the United States is also one of the best choices for realizing Messi's commercial value. The United States has the world's largest sports consumer market. In fact, Miami International Club was founded by English football star Beckham. In terms of commercial operations, Xiaobei is unparalleled among retired football stars. This time Messi joined, Miami International reportedly provided him with a bundled contract of club shares and sponsorship from Apple and Adidas.

The biggest beneficiary: American football?

After announcing Messi's joining, the social media of Miami International Club gained over a million followers overnight. Surrounded by professional basketball, baseball, and rugby clubs, this football club was once so unknown and currently ranks last in the Eastern Conference this season. But Messi's arrival instantly overturned the situation.

In the history of the American Professional League, there are many famous stars, such as Pele, Beckenbauer, Henry, Beckham, and Ibrahimovic, who have all galloped on the North American continent, but Messi's significance is clearly different from before.

The Associated Press bluntly stated that Messi may become the biggest promoter in the history of professional football in the United States. The United States, which will host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico in three years, has signed the core of the defending World Cup champions.

"For the development of football in the United States, this is a great signing. It reminds people of the time when Beckham came to the United States, and you can see how much our league has changed in the past decade or so. I hope this can be replicated in the future," said American national football player Walker Zimmerman.