Lionel Messi reportedly near historic agreement with Inter Miami

Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is nearing an agreement to join David Beckham-backed MLS club Inter Miami CF on a deal that would make the 35-year-old the highest-paid player in the American league's history, according a report from The Times (UK) on Sunday.

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Inter Miami's interest in Messi has not been a secret. In June 2021, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas told the Miami Herald that he was "optimistic" Messi would one day play for the club.

However, the reports of that interest being mutual have picked up in recent months, with The Athletic reporting in November that Inter Miami is "increasingly confident" Messi would leave PSG for the club in 2023. With the January transfer window fast-approaching, a pre-agreement appears imminent.

If Messi and Inter Miami do agree to a deal in the January transfer window, he'll play out the rest of his contract with PSG, which expires in the summer of 2023. He'd then join Inter Miami midseason — the MLS season opens in February — though likely not right away, as the European season runs through June.

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Alexi Lalas reacts to Argentina's 2-0 victory over Mexico in their second game of the World Cup and also analyzes Lionel Messi's impact on the game.

The MLS record for highest-paid player was broken in October by Italian international Lorenzo Insigne, who made $14 million with Toronto F.C. in the 2022 season. It will be interesting to see by what margin Messi, a global icon and arguably the greatest player of all time, breaks that record.

In 13 matches with PSG this season, Messi has scored seven goals and recorded 10 assists. Prior to joining PSG, Messi spent his entire career with FC Barcelona, where he won 10 La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League titles.

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