"The rumors had been going on since our first game" – Argentine fan who supports Inter Miami reacts to Lionel Messi signing

Inter Miami fan Fernando Fiore has expressed his opinion on his club snapping up Lionel Messi this summer.

Messi, 35, claimed in a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo and SPORT that he would be joining the Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit in the near future. He is set to depart Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer on June 30.

Speaking to Infobae, Fiore shared his two cents on Inter Miami's recruitment plans over the past five years. He said:

"As soon as the club started in 2018, there was always talk of bringing in Leo, Cristiano [Ronaldo], [Luis] Suarez, [Radamel] Falcao... all the European stars. There are so many rumors and opinions that the names were always going around. You don't know what's going to happen, but the rumors had been going on since our first game."

Shedding light on his thought process about Messi joining his team, the Argentina-born broadcaster continued:

"My opinion, since Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar last year, was that Leo was going to want to play in the upcoming 2026 World Cup and that then Inter Miami was his best option. But I wasn't an astrologer or anything."

He added:

"I thought: 'If he wants to reach 2026 with a good physique, he has to play in a league with less pressure, fewer games and in which he has less focus.' And that's MLS. Here, he won't have the rigor that European clubs have, but also he won't miss out on the business opportunities that exist in the United States. This closed him well."

Messi, who is expected to make his Inter Miami debut in their Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, is likely to have unique clauses in his MLS contract, as per The Athletic.

The ex-Barcelona man is set to rake in commercial revenue from AppleTV and Adidas. On the other hand, he will also have the opportunity to become a part-owner of his team.

Gareth Bale identifies stars who could take over Lionel Messi's mantle

During a recent interaction on BT Sport, Real Madrid great Gareth Bale was asked to name a few stars who can take over Inter Miami-bound Lionel Messi's position. Earmarking four Premier League superstars, he responded:

"Erling Haaland is obviously on fire, he's done well at all the clubs he's been at so far. Obviously, more talent will come through. In the Premier League, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden are coming through. It's the same in any sport actually. There's always a transition period and new people will just naturally take over."

Haaland, 22, has emerged as a main contender for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award as he registered 52 goals and nine assists in 53 games for Manchester City this season. He won the Golden Boot in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Foden and Grealish also featured heavily for Pep Guardiola's side last term, helping them win the treble this season (FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League).

Rashford, on the other hand, helped Manchester United reclaim a top-four berth in the 2022-23 Premier League table and lift the EFL Cup in February. He registered 41 goal involvements across all competitions, same as Messi at PSG.