Why Did Messi Leave Barcelona?

One of the most shocking transfers in football history saw Lionel Messi leave Barcelona, his lifelong club, where he grew into a global superstar. During an emotional farewell news conference, a tearful Messi clarified that his next move hadn't been confirmed, but ESPN sources reported that a deal with Paris Saint-Germain was already in place.
Messi became a free agent when his contract with Barcelona expired on June 30, 2021. He maintained silence after Barcelona announced that due to financial constraints, they couldn't offer him a new contract. When asked about joining a rival team, Messi said, "There is no doubt that I will go to a team that will compete with Barca. I didn't want to leave, but I have to. And I want to keep winning. That's my mentality. I want to win."
However, the story runs much deeper than that. From the 2013-2014 season, Spanish teams were obligated to limit their salary expenses to 70% of their revenue from the previous campaign. Any violation would lead to restrictions on new player registrations. Nevertheless, Barcelona began offering colossal contracts to their players, spearheaded by Messi, resulting in an inflated wage bill.
The situation worsened with the onset of the Covid pandemic. Barcelona's revenue dipped drastically, pushing their salary bill to 110% of their revenue. To accommodate new players, they needed to offload hundreds of millions of euros from the wage bill. Unfortunately, attempts to do so by transferring players or negotiating wage cuts proved largely unsuccessful. In the midst of this financial debacle, Messi's contract expired. Instead of a renewal, his contract was deemed as a new signing, which Barcelona couldn't afford to register, leading to Messi's heartbreaking departure from Camp Nou.

Could all that be avoided?

The shocking departure of Lionel Messi from Barcelona, after a 21-year association with the club, sent waves of shock and disbelief through the football world. Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, later revealed the extent of the financial turmoil the club was in. He called the situation "ruins" and stated that keeping Messi at the club was impossible given the dire economic conditions.
Messi's contract expired at the end of the 2020-2021 season, and while he technically became a free agent, it was largely assumed that Barcelona would re-sign him once they had created space in the budget. However, the reality of the club's financial situation proved to be far worse than many had anticipated.
In August 2021, Barcelona's debts were reported to be at a staggering €1.35 billion. On top of this, their LaLiga salary cap was drastically cut by €280 million ahead of the 2021-2022 season due to these financial woes.
The financial restrictions meant that, even with Messi agreeing to a 50% wage reduction, Barcelona still couldn't afford to sign him to a new contract. Spanish employment law further complicates this, as it prohibits employers from decreasing wages by more than 50%.
Laporta, speaking to Cadena SER, said, "I had to put Barca ahead of the best player in the history of football." This statement underscores the financial strain Barcelona was under, highlighting the severity of the situation that forced the club to let go of their greatest player.
Could all of this have been avoided? The answer is not straightforward, given the scale of Barcelona's financial issues. With such colossal debts, the club had limited room for maneuvering. The confluence of the pandemic's economic impact and the club's financial mismanagement over the years created a situation that, in retrospect, seems nearly inevitable.

A class reunion…but in Miami

The prospect of a Barcelona reunion in Miami has ignited excitement among football fans around the world. When news broke that Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players of all time, had signed for Inter Miami, speculation began swirling about other Barcelona legends following suit.
Shortly after Messi's move was confirmed, it was announced that another Barcelona stalwart, Sergio Busquets, was also headed to the sun-drenched shores of Miami. Busquets, who spent over a decade at Barcelona and was a vital cog in the club's midfield machinery, will bring a wealth of experience to Inter Miami.
Adding to the thrill is the recent addition of Jordi Alba, a long-serving Barcelona left-back, who is also said to be joining Messi and Busquets at Inter Miami. Alba's incredible partnership with Messi during their time at Barcelona makes this move all the more tantalizing for fans of the club and the sport in general.
Rumors were also swirling about Luis Suarez potentially joining his former teammates at Inter Miami. However, Major League Soccer's restrictions on the number of Designated Players—those who can be paid above the salary cap—put a damper on those hopes. The MLS allows clubs to have only three Designated Players, and with Messi, Busquets, and Alba taking those spots, the completion of a Barcelona reunion with Suarez couldn't be achieved.
While it may not be a complete Barcelona reunion, having Messi, Busquets, and Alba at Inter Miami still promises to be a thrilling chapter in Major League Soccer history, one that could see the trio reignite their magic from their Barcelona days under the sunny skies of Miami.