Inter Miami are doing what PSG never did with Lionel Messi
Inter Miami are seeing the best of Lionel Messi following his arrival from PSG
PA
Lionel Messi was expected to deliver Champions League glory to PSG when he joined the club from Barcelona back in 2021.
Unfortuntately for him, however, that never happened in those chaotic surroundings.
Messi moved to PSG because Barcelona were unable to afford to keep him due to their delicate financial situation at the time.
He had no choice. While he had offers from America and the Premier League, the Argentina international ultimately felt it was best to reunite with close friend Neymar over in France.
PSG stifled Lionel Messi and never allowed the Inter Miami star to be the main man
PA
Messi, for two years, tried his best to be the main man. But PSG never allowed that to happen due to their sheer devotion to Kylian Mbappe.
As a result, it meant the 37-year-old often being forced to play second fiddle. He danced to Mbappe's tune, instead of the other way round.
What that meant was Messi being stifled and forced to be more flexible and adaptable than any point previously. The best of all time, reduced to a shadow of his usual self.
His diminishing goal tallies were proof of that. 11 goals in his first season, 21 in his second.
Compare that to his last two years at Barcelona, where he plundered home 69 goals across all competitions, and it's clear Messi was mismanaged.
That's not happening at Inter Miami, however.
Messi has been allowed to wear the No 10 shirt again, to take centre stage and hog all the spotlight for himself.
And Inter Miami are now benefitting spectacularly. Suddenly MLS' biggest whipping boys are standing up and showing fight, grinding out win after win.
Messi didn't score as Inter Miami booked their place in a second cup final with victory over Cincinnati in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Yet he was still at his impactful, influential best as they managed to go through following a dramatic penalty shootout triumph.
Messi looks liberated - and feels liberated. He's now happier at Miami than at any other point in recent years, at least when it comes to club football.
Speaking recently, he confirmed as much by saying: "It was a family decision, trying to look out for what's best for the family.
"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."
It looks as though Messi has made the right call for his career.
David Beckham always wanted to sign the veteran and the pair seem to be living a dream together.
Whereas other players have gone to America for the money, Messi has gone for peace of mind and the chance to add to his footballing legacy.
He is doing just that. While he could have gone to Saudi Arabia to battle Cristiano Ronaldo for the spotlight, Messi is playing in a league that remains far more respected and operating at the peak of his powers once again.
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Lionel Messi has scored 10 goals from eight games for Inter Miami
REUTERS
Football fans are rejoicing. Messi won the World Cup in December but remains committed to the sport. As long as it continues, the accolades are sure to keep coming.
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