Lionel Messi next team odds: Barcelona return is safest bet for disgruntled PSG star
Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain was a forced marriage to begin with.
Which is part of the reason why, less than two years after his shocking and hasty departure from Barcelona, Messi again appears to be on the move, with multiple reports this week stating that the living legend's sojourn with PSG will end next month after two mostly disappointing seasons.
The truth is that it was never a good fit. With Brazilian superstar Neymar and World Cup-winner Kylian Mbappé already leading its attack, PSG didn't need him. But Messi's stature, stratospheric salary and Champions League ambitions left him just two viable options at the time, the other being pre-Erling Haaland Manchester City. Messi obviously opted for the more glamorous route and signed with PSG, whose owners simply couldn't help themselves when the opportunity arrived out of nowhere.
Messi helped PSG regain the French title in his first season at the Parc des Princes but made little impact beyond that. The club had already won Ligue 1 seven times in nine years before his arrival. Despite his presence, the league remains a distant fifth among Europe's Big Five. A French club still hasn't won the Champions League since 1993. With bottomless pockets, PSG's Qatari backers were desperate to change that. Messi, ostensibly the missing piece they needed after losing to Bayern Munich in the 2020 finale, was unable to help get PSG past the round of 16.
Messi's time in Paris wasn't a total failure, of course. Rather than be subjected to the grind of the relentless, physical Premier League, Messi coasted in Ligue 1 while preparing for his ultimate career goal: Winning the World Cup with Argentina. After accomplishing that feat late last year (and, for many, establishing his GOAT bona fides in the process), "what's next?" became the obvious question. It was being asked even before Bayern again dashed PSG's Champions League dreams in February.
Now Paris is off the table. Once again, Messi's sheer star power leaves him few realistic alternatives. The 35-year-old seems destined either to return to Barcelona, join David Beckham-owned Inter Miami in MLS, or follow longtime foe Cristiano Ronaldo and a trailer load of money to Saudi Arabia's Pro League.
Here's a closer look at each potential landing spot.
ODDS ON MESSI'S NEXT TEAM
Barcelona: -137
Any Saudi Pro League Team: +130
Renew Contract with PSG: +450
Inter Miami: +1000
Man City: +1600
*Odds as of 5/04/2023
THE BEST BETS
Why it makes sense: There are about 400 million reasons; Messi's annual salary in Saudi Arabia would reportedly approach a half-billion U.S. dollars a year. If Messi leaves Europe, why not get as much money as possible? Even if Miami paid Messi 10 times the MLS record $14 million Lorenzo Insigne is getting from Toronto FC this season (and they won't come close), it would still be dwarfed by the Saudi offer.
Rekindling his rivalry with Ronaldo, who left Manchester United for Al-Nassr in January, would also be intriguing. And Messi clearly cares enough about his relationship with the country that he was unwilling to miss a recent trip there, even if it meant being suspended for two weeks, without pay, by PSG.
Why it doesn't: Money isn't everything, and Messi already has enough for it not be his primary motivation at this stage. He also surely has noticed that Ronaldo became almost irrelevant in soccer terms the moment he made the move. The Saudi League is a significant step-down even from MLS, which sent more players to the 2022 World Cup than any circuit outside Europe's Big Five. Besides, does Messi really want to take the same less-traveled route as Ronaldo, with whom he's always been compared, just months after Argentina's triumph in Qatar ended any debate about who's better?
Why it makes sense: Where to start? The greatest player in club history, Messi led Barcelona to four of its five European titles. He didn't want to leave the Camp Nou in 2021. His kids were born and raised in Barcelona. The Messis have kept their house there and visit it often.
Reports have for months indicated that Messi prefers to stay in Europe playing at the top level. Barca fans have been chanting his name during recent matches, and manager Xavi Hernandez also wants his friend and longtime teammate back. "I think what it will depend on most is the wishes of Leo," Xavi said last month. "He knows this is his home, that the doors are open, and that we would be delighted to have him."
Why it doesn't: Legitimate questions about the wisdom of recruiting a player who turns 36 in June and who doesn't necessarily fit Xavi's system aside, money is the main stumbling block. Financial restrictions prevented Barcelona from re-upping Messi two years ago. They could scupper any reunion, too.
Last week, Xavi confirmed that Barcelona officials recently met with their La Liga counterparts to see if the numbers can work. There's no guarantee that happens. If they can, though, Barcelona probably becomes the front-runner.
Why it makes sense: Messi wants to keep playing for his country. South Florida is considered "the gateway to South America," and the next two major international tournaments La Albiceleste will compete in — the 2024 Copa America and 2026 World Cup — just happen to take place in the United States.
Messi already has an apartment in Miami. His Spanish-speaking family would settle more easily there than in Riyadh, and Beckham — who visited Messi in Paris last month — and fellow owner Jorge Mas are reportedly willing to offer Messi a stake in the three-year-old club, which Forbes valued at $600 million earlier this year.
And by increasing his profile in the world's richest market, Messi would also stand to make millions extra in endorsements both during his time in MLS and after his playing days are done.
Why it doesn't: Professional athletes aren't usually in the business of leaving tens of millions on the table. Why should arguably the best soccer player ever be different?
The long flights, harsh weather conditions, artificial fields and uneven officiating in MLS all make the U.S. and Canada's top flight notoriously grueling. And any thought that Messi would be able to live a more normal life stateside went out the window when he was mobbed outside a Miami restaurant after winning the Copa America in 2021. Being a one-man traveling circus might not be especially appealing for a player who has never truly embraced the limelight away from the field.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.