Lionel Messi has admitted he moved to Inter Miami this summer in search of the happiness which had deserted him ever since he left Barcelona.
After financial restrictions left Barcelona unable to offer him a new contract in the summer of 2021, Messi took his talents to France with Paris Saint-Germain, where he racked up 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games.
While Messi's stint in Ligue 1, which also yielded two league title, appears impressive on paper, it was marred by hostility from a section of disgruntled fans, many of whom accused Messi of actually holding PSG back.
In the end, Messi declined to trigger the extension in his contract and became a free agent this summer. He had interest from former employers Barcelona but declined to wait for the La Liga side to try and find the finances to make a return work, instead taking his talents to Major League Soccer.
Since moving to the United States, Messi has transformed a struggling Inter Miami side into a dominant force, scoring ten goals in seven games en route to winning the Leagues Cup and bagging another two assists in the US Open Cup semi-final to steer his side closer to more silverware.
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Speaking to Apple TV, Messi admitted his move to Miami came from a desire to enjoy football once again after a spell in Paris which left both him and his family unsatisfied.
"It was a family decision, trying to look out for what's best for the family," he said. "We'd had a difficult two years, we hadn't been well, it cost us.
"[The Miami move] was to go back a little to what we were when we were in Barcelona, enjoying the day-to-day, being well as a family, enjoying football every day, which was not happening for me.
"We decided this was going to be that place for many reasons and today, after a while, we know we were not wrong."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Lionel Messi reflects on 'difficult' PSG spell & search for happiness in Miami.
