Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: ALAIN JOCARD / AFP 19:14 pm, June 07, 2023

Argentine star Lionel Messi will sign with Inter Miami in the North American Championship (MLS), several foreign media announced Wednesday including the newspapers "Marca" and "The Independent" as well as the BBC channel. To complete the transfer, the American club benefited from the revenue generated by the agreement reached in the spring between MLS and Apple.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has chosen Inter Miami, report several media outlets including the Spanish newspaper Marca, the British daily The Independent and the BBC, quoting the author of a biography on Leo Messi, Guillem Balague, and the generally well-informed freelance journalist Fabrizio Romano. After leaving Paris SG, where he spent two pale seasons, the 35-year-old world champion had several choices of destinations ahead of him: a return to FC Barcelona, his training club, Saudi Arabia, which has already seduced Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, or Major League Soccer on the other side of the Atlantic.

>> READ ALSO – Football: Jude Bellingham joins Real Madrid for 103 million euros until the summer of 2029

Spring agreement between MLS and Apple

To complete the transfer, the American club from the East Coast benefited from the revenues generated by the agreement reached in the spring between MLS and Apple, which offers on its Apple TV+ service a subscription to follow the American championship. This agreement was signed for $2.5 billion over ten years. On Tuesday, Apple TV+ announced the upcoming broadcast of a four-part documentary series, retracing the five World Cups played by Messi.

Inter Miami, which is partly owned by David Beckham, has been playing in the MLS league since 2020. The franchise was scheduled to play in the night from Wednesday to Thursday (Paris time) in the U.S. Open Cup.

The Argentine was courted by Saudi club Al-Hilal

For several months, the Argentine was courted by the Saudi club Al-Hilal, ready to offer him a salary of 400 million euros per season, according to several media. Saudi officials even made the trip to Paris on Sunday to try to conclude the deal, AFP learned from sources close to the negotiations. World champion with Argentina last December, Messi still aims to play the Copa America in 2024.