The 36-year-old said he바카라s still adapting to his new surroundings.
Fans line up outside Inter Miami바카라s practice facility to watch Lionel Messi바카라s car drive away after training sessions. Players from opposing teams wait after matches to get his signature or just a simple handshake. His No. 10 jersey is everywhere in South Florida.
For Messi, these are reminders that he made the right choice. He could have continued his acclaimed career with another stint in Barcelona, where he rose to stardom. He could have signed a lucrative deal to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He chose the unfamiliar 바카라 to travel stateside and play soccer in the United States, and he바카라s glad about it.
바카라From the beginning, from my arrival, it바카라s been an impressive welcome that we바카라ve received,바카라 Messi said through an interpreter. He spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since announcing on June 7 that he바카라d join Inter Miami of the MLS.
바카라Today I can tell you that I am very happy with the decision we made,바카라 Messi said at Miami바카라s DRV PNK Stadium in a room so full of reporters that some sat on the floor.
The 36-year-old said he바카라s still adapting to his new surroundings. His family is in a temporary place in South Florida while they search for a permanent home. His three sons will start school soon.
He바카라s still getting used to 바카라hot and humid바카라 Florida, but overall, the transition has been 바카라much easier than expected바카라 compared to his move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, where he played the past two years.
바카라Me going to Paris was neither planned nor desired,바카라 Messi said. 바카라I did not want to leave Barcelona, and it became difficult. But it is the opposite of what is happening to me now, thanks to God.바카라
Since Messi바카라s announcement, Inter Miami hired former Barcelona and Argentina national team coach Gerardo 바카라Tata바카라 Martino and signed former Barcelona captain Serio Busquets and veteran defender Jordi Alba.
The club바카라s rise since has been meteoric.
Messi has scored nine goals in six matches with his new club, which is in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference with a record of 5-14-3. Now on a six-match winning streak, Inter Miami will compete for its first title Saturday against Nashville in the Leagues Cup final.
바카라Ever since the competition started, we knew that we would be starting from scratch because there was a new coach with the team and other new players,바카라 Messi said. 바카라From the very beginning, we바카라ve done very well thanks to all the new teammates that are here. This was a nice opportunity to start to change and to set hard goals for us, but goals that we were prepared to achieve.바카라
Miami defeated Philadelphia 바카라 a top-three team in the Eastern Conference 바카라 in the semifinal round on Tuesday. Messi ripped a shot from 30 yards past three Philadelphia defenders in the 20th minute of the 4-1 victory.
In his debut on July 21, the seven-time Ballon d바카라Or winner sent a free kick into the upper left corner of the net in the 94th minute to give Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Mexican club Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup opener.
He followed it with a two-goal performance in another Leagues Cup game against Atlanta a few days later.
In his first road game, a Leagues Cup elimination match against FC Dallas, Messi바카라s free kick again snuck past the goalkeeper into the upper corner of the net for a tying tally that led to a victory on penalty kicks.
바카라He바카라s at the stage of his career where he바카라s done everything that any soccer player can do in a sport as one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player to ever play the game,바카라 Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said last month. 바카라So he바카라s still hungry. I바카라ve seen him on the training pitch. I know he바카라s still hungry.바카라
Following the path of some of the game바카라s biggest names who have come to the U.S. toward the end of their careers 바카라 Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Thierry Henry and Beckham himself 바카라 Messi has certainly vaulted American soccer onto a global stage.
He바카라s a four-time Champions League winner with 10 La Liga titles. His 129 goals in the top club competition are second to Cristiano Ronaldo바카라s 140.
More than 17 years in and just a few months removed from hoisting a World Cup, Messi appears to still be at the pinnacle of his soccer powers. But for him, this stage of his career isn바카라t about being the sport바카라s ambassador in the U.S. or even accumulating more individual accolades.
바카라I simply came here to play and keep enjoying football,바카라 he said.