Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Barcelona, Al-Hilal, Saudi Pro League
Barcelona, Inter Miami, and Al-Hilal all wish to sign the Argentine this summer but two of those three teams have been handed a huge blow.

After months of speculation, the race to sign Lionel Messi looks to be coming to an end. Despite the recent push from Barcelona, the Camp Nou icon will not be returning to Catalonia this summer after running down his PSG contract.

This is according to the well-connected Guillem Balague who reports that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has decided to join Inter Miami, handing a huge blow to Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League.

The player's father, who is also his agent, was recently spotted at the house of Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona. As a result, this kicked the Blaugrana links into overdrive, with Jorge Messi even later admitting to the media that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner dreams of returning to the Camp Nou.

The manner of his exit was undesirable, after all. Instead of playing his final game in front of a sold-out Camp Nou, La Pulga, La Masia's greatest-ever product, bid farewell to the club via a press conference after the Spanish giants failed to register him.

However, the issues that plagued Barcelona back then still linger. The Primera Division champions are keen on re-signing Messi but the club's financial situation has led to caution from the Argentine, with Leo believing the club would not be able to register him again.

There was interest from Saudi Arabia, with Asian giants Al Hilal offering the South American sensation a two-year deal that would see him pocket a whopping $1.3 billion. However, the Messi family had reservations over living in Saudi Arabia, which ultimately ruled out a move to the Gulf nation.

La Pulga wished to stay in Europe and return to Barcelona was his priority. However, he only received concrete offers from Inter Miami and Al-Hilal. While the Saudi Pro League were willing to offer him unrivaled wages, several other factors tipped him towards a move to Miami.

First of all, there is the lifestyle. Messi already owns a property in Florida's second-most populated city. Furthermore, this deal with Inter Miami includes collaborations with Adidas and Apple, two of the biggest corporations in the world who are also commercial partners with Major League Soccer. The Argentine captain will reportedly earn a share of the revenue both Apple and Adidas generate from the player's move to the USA.

This means a romantic return to Camp Nou will not be happening. Never before has Messi played outside of Europe, and with Cristiano Ronaldo having already left for Saudi Arabia, this spells the end of the Messi-Cristiano dominance over the beautiful game.