Football legend Lionel Messi has chosen to join Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami after leaving Paris St-Germain (PSG).

Messi's decision to join Inter Miami has surprised many fans and experts who had expected him to join Saudi Arabia or return to Barcelona.

[{"selector":"#anim-7516920f-38bd-43f4-9a54-0e7be29dc3bc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.222560879872866%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b48ad83d-616f-4fd0-ae3e-b787e34c15f5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fea68e0-c4fc-4313-89a8-f6bd53657033","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.39871%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Despite a lucrative offer from Al-Hilal, Messi turned it down and opted for Inter Miami instead.

[{"selector":"#anim-611ab724-cbab-42ba-b71e-506fb48f5a19","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ef3c0df-d792-439b-8efb-5bda3d0b8dbd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -394.21431%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-039d1d0d-23d6-4051-a2a0-65e87f9e0be7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.88880260142661%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Joining a Saudi team would have allowed Messi to play alongside football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

[{"selector":"#anim-eaf53782-0a2a-42c7-b56a-430bd41db431","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7d94e55-8778-4f0a-af33-2a8212b6a2d2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -332.94638%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf1f5cf5-df0c-45ff-bcde-ddb8dc328f29 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Messi recently led Argentina to victory in the World Cup in Qatar and has received seven Ballon d'Or awards.

[{"selector":"#anim-d9c10400-8d40-46b3-bfa2-b19786a21b6a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-29824897-36be-4e1e-9971-caca1381d9eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -377.05454%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f75a746a-d6b2-4e39-928c-6273411c4a36 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.284090795523493%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

During his time with PSG, Messi won the Ligue 1 title and the French Super Cup.

[{"selector":"#anim-92700d2f-2b81-4c23-a9a0-518d4a220cab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25828e70-a366-4ee1-87e9-a4a128625a34","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -488.48345%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1686f3d9-0980-4eac-9111-bce0897832da [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.451675029890179%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Despite rumors of a potential return to Barcelona, the Spanish club is unable to make the move due to LaLiga's financial fair play rules.

[{"selector":"#anim-93e9f4a3-c254-4007-b81e-8401e4037b72","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-911df48d-9090-4803-9630-ac7e06bd9df5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -285.9924%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8cd84f93-99c9-4b03-86b4-7422b20e8036 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(29.09374987314169%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Messi played his final game for PSG over the weekend, marking the end of his tenure with the club.

[{"selector":"#anim-fac9d697-3d49-43da-9c18-296350e0620d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa895d35-bdbd-42ed-9e48-4c377bd81802","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -395.98947%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45dfc358-6b65-433e-a025-a9ad15965cf6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

This decision effectively ends the speculations and hopes of Messi returning to his beloved boyhood club, Barcelona.

[{"selector":"#anim-c49a7b78-799d-4cd7-975b-fcfdcc89ecfc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef878032-ad94-4ed8-b833-dbeff4f4d2a0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -332.94638%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84a5b732-d60b-4294-aead-525999370705 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.39941396783625%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":2000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Watch-Cat Breeds

[{"selector":"#anim-cd72f7e7-260a-4702-8dd3-58caa3408667 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(24.963353043780792%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0e0c2213-7c3b-4124-9675-99bc882f57a9","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] Credit:Google for all Images Learn more