Manager: Lionel Messi not joining MLS for 'holiday'

New Inter Miami manager Tata Martino insists that former Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets aren't joining the club and Major League Soccer for vacations from so-called legitimate competitions. 

"When we spoke with Leo, yesterday I spoke with Sergio, we talked about arriving to have success, to compete and compete well," Martino told reporters during his Inter Miami introductory news conference on Thursday, as shared by Cesar Hernandez of ESPN. "This happens to us even on a personal level, sometimes we associate the United States, Miami, holidays — this isn't that. We want to compete... they are not footballers who are going to come here to not compete."

Messi made it known he wanted to return to Barcelona, where he spent the bulk of his professional career, for at least one season but decided he wouldn't wait to learn if the Catalan club could eliminate financial problems that essentially made registering the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner impossible. 

After Messi confirmed he intends to join Inter Miami once his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires at the end of this month, Barcelona seemingly took a shot at MLS when the club said in a statement that the 36-year-old wanted "to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been subject to in recent years." 

For a piece published on June 7, Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald reported Messi signed a contract that runs through 2025 and includes an option year for 2026. Kaufman added the deal could be worth between $125M-$150M, including money Messi can earn receiving cuts of revenue he generates for league sponsors Apple and Adidas.

Messi is expected to make his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul of Mexico's Liga MX in a Leagues Cup game on July 21. 

Martino noted how Messi's announcement about joining Inter Miami sparked reactions from individuals such as Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

"I've read that NFL and NBA players are talking about this situation, which seems very rare," Martino remarked. "I believe that MLS has a constant evolution and the examples are the great soccer players from the United States who are playing in Europe, and in very good teams in Europe. There is already a process that has started. [And] that the best player in the world decides to play in this league, obviously it will open up an even better panorama for that growth."