Argentine seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi said last month that he was moving to the Major League Soccer club after allowing his contract at Paris Saint-Germain to run out.

“The major unveiling event will include exciting entertainment, speeches on the pitch and more,” the club said in a press release, which did not mention Messi by name.

Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina in December, is expected to be joined at Miami by his former Barcelona teammate and ex-Spain international midfielder Sergio Busquets and the pair could be presented together.

The club recently appointed former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino to take charge of the team.

Messi is expected to make his debut on July 21 against Mexican club Cruz Azul in the new Leagues Cup — a tournament between top flight clubs from MLS and the Mexican league.

Inter Miami majority owner Jorge Mas has said the club could make “three to five signings” during the current transfer window.

Inter Miami is at the bottom of MLS’ Eastern Conference and ranked 28th of 29 clubs in the league.

Martino said, upon his appointment, that he had spoken to Messi and Busquets about their impending move to the MLS club.

“Sometimes in our world, you associate the United States and Miami with holidays. And it’s not that. They are coming to compete.

“They are coming from winning world titles, Spanish league titles. They are not going to relax. They will compete because it is in their blood,” he said.

“The Unveil” will be conducted at the club’s DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami.

Former England and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham, a co-owner of the club, is also likely to appear at the event.

PSG manager Christophe Galtier confirmed in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, June 1, that the World Cup winner will depart, with Inter Miami one of many potential destinations.

Clermont Foot will be Messi’s final game at PSG,’ said Galtier. ‘I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football. It will be Leo’s last match at the Parc des Princes.’

Messi joined PSG in 2021 and has won two Ligue 1 titles.

The 35-year-old hinted that leaving Barcelona allowed him to mature as a player and some suggest that leaving his comfort zone allowed him to develop the leadership qualities he displayed in winning the Qatar World Cup in December.

French media reported this morning that Messi could make a sensational return to Camp Nou but that Barcelona would struggle to financially wager a move.

One alternative suggested by L’Equipe, though, is that Messi could join Inter Miami and be loaned to the Catalan club.

Inter Miami, managed by Phil Neville, are said to be offering Messi a lucrative package, while there is still interest from Asian clubs.

‘I hope that he will be welcomed in the best way,’ added Galtier ahead of Messi’s final game. PSG have already won the Ligue 1 title.

There have also been suggestions that the World Cup winner could be on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with Saudi side Al-Hilal.

Rumours last month claimed that Messi had been offered a contract worth £ 522 million from Al-Hilal, despite the concerns of his wife Antonela Roccuzzo.

Messi’s father, Jorge, quickly shut down reports that a decision had been made about his son’s club for next season.

Taking to social media, Messi’s father said: ‘There is absolutely nothing with any club for next year. The decision will never be made before Lionel finished the league with PSG.

‘Once the season is over it will be time to analyze and see what is there, and then make a decision.

‘There are always rumors and many use the name of Lionel to gain notoriety but the truth is only one and we can assure that there is nothing with anyone.

‘Neither verbal, nor signed, nor agreed, and there will not be until the end of the season.’

During his impressive campaign in France, Messi scored 16 goals and recorded 16 assists in the league.

A life-sized statue of Messi holding the World Cup was also made in his honour.

The footballer shared photos from the event on his Instagram page on Monday.

He wrote, “Thanks to #conmebol for this tribute and to #sole_pastorutti for that beautiful moment. It was very special and emotional.”

Messi led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup which held in Qatar after defeating France in an electrifying final match.

Messi left the Camp Nou for Paris Saint-Germain last summer, after 17 years in the Barcelona first team, as the Catalan giants struggled with financial problems.

But Laporta is hopeful that the 35-year-old will be able to return to Barca before he hangs up his boots.

“Messi’s time at Barca didn’t end as we all would’ve liked,” he told Spanish press during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

“I believe that Barca have a moral debt towards Leo Messi. We would like the end of his career to come in a Barca shirt, being applauded at all the grounds, wherever he goes.”

Laporta clarified that “nothing has been discussed” with Messi, who has one season left on his PSG contract with an option for an extra year.

“It was a temporary end (to his Barca career) because I believe that we will make this wish a reality,” he added.

Messi scored only 11 goals in all competitions in his debut PSG campaign, the first time he had scored fewer than 30 in a season since 2007-08.

The Argentine superstar spent 21 years with the Catalan side, winning every trophy and shattering numerous records before he was forced to leave last summer due to the club’s dismal financial situation.

Messi reportedly did not want to leave his beloved club and cried at his farewell press conference before joining French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

But Barcelona president Joan Laporta has now hinted that the magician may end up back at the Camp Nou before he calls time on his illustrious career.

Laporta, who resumed his post as Barcelona president earlier this year after Josep Bartomeu’s arrest,  hinted that the door is open for both Messi and legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta to return to Catalonia.

He said: “I don’t rule anything out. It happened with Dani [Alves], age is a number. They’re two great players. I can’t predict what will happen tomorrow, they’re still playing & contracted to other clubs. You never know…”

His comments follow the arrival of iconic full-back Dani Alves, who returned to the club this week after six years, re-joining former teammate and new manager, Xavi Hernandez.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino had indicated on Saturday that all three of PSG’s golden trio would be in his squad for the first time.

On Sunday he made that official, naming Neymar, who also has yet to play this season and Kylian Mbappe in his squad for the trip to Reims for the evening match.

With two days left in the transfer window, this could be the only time the three stars play as team-mates.

While Messi, who joined PSG on August 10, is poised to say hello to French football, Mbappe could be bidding it adieu.

The World Cup winner’s future is still uncertain after Real Madrid reportedly made a bid to buy him. The rumoured fee would be the biggest paid for a player by any club other than PSG.

PSG are taking 22 players to Reims, but only 11 starts with nine more on the bench.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner arrived in Paris on Tuesday, August 10 for his medical, ahead of completing his sensational free transfer to the Ligue 1 side. Messi was welcomed like royalty when he arrived in the French capital, greeting a delighted multitude who gathered for him as if he was a king. will be paid €35m net per season including add-ons.

PSG released the official unveiling video at around 21:15 GMT. Messi will be wearing the number 30, the number he wore first at Barcelona, which will allow Neymar to keep his number 10 – Messi’s number at former club, Barcelona.

Norwegian/Moroccan journalist, Jonas Adnan Giaever tweeted that Messi’s new shirt was sold out on PSG’s official online store by 21:45, remarkably just a half-hour after his signature was made official

The 34-year-old was pictured at Barcelona airport alongside his wife Antonella and their three children, Thiago, eight, Mateo, five, and Ciro, three.

Antonella later posted a selfie alongside her husband as they sat in their private jet waiting to fly to France.

A press conference is set to take place on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes.

France’s highest tax bracket is 45 per cent and so Messi’s gross annual salary will be in the region of €63m (£53m), taking his gross earnings to just over £1m a week.

This comes days after Barcelona confirmed last Thursday that Messi would not sign a new contract with the Spanish club amid financial concerns “and structural obstacles” which prevented Messi from renewing.

After Messi confirmed his exit from the club, PSG offered Messi an initial two-year deal, thought to be worth £25m a year after tax, and the six-time Ballon d’Or winner and his representatives are now reviewing and considering it carefully.

Now lawyers at the Spanish club have filed a complaint to the European Court of Appeals, stating the Parisians should be stopped in their pursuit of Messi based on financial data.

Juan Branco confirmed the complaint on Twitter: ‘On behalf of FC Barcelona partners, my firm has prepared a complaint with the European Commission and demands for provisional suspension before civil and administrative courts in France to prevent Paris-Saint Germain from signing Lionel Messi. PSG’s ratios in terms of ‘Financial Fair Play’ are worse than those of FC Barcelona. In 2019-2020, PSG’s salary-to-income ratio was 99%, while Barcelona’s was 54%. Meanwhile, the difference has increased. It is inconceivable that the ‘Financial Fair Play’ serves to aggravate the drifts of football-business, the instrumentalization of football by sovereign powers, and the distortion of competitions.’

The report claims PSG will fall foul of FFP with the signing of Messi, and reveals that Barcelona couldn’t renew the star’s contract because even after a 50 per cent pay cut, the club’s wage bill would be 110 per cent of the cap, according to Marca.

It also reportedly pointed at the Ligue 1 side’s active summer this year, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, and Georginio Wijnaldum all arriving at the Parc de Princes.

They already have the massive wages of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to shoulder.

Messi confirmed in an emotional press conference that he will be leaving Barcelona this summer after a lifetime at the club, and is now finalising terms with PSG.

The Argentina International, 34,  has been a free agent since July 1 when his contract at Camp Nou expired, though he had verbally agreed on a new deal on reduced wages only for the Catalan club to pull the plug.

Barcelona confirmed on Thursday, August 5, that Messi would not sign a new contract with the Spanish club amid financial concerns “and structural obstacles” which prevented Messi from renewing.

Speaking at a press conference from Camp Nou, which was attended by the entire first-team squad past players – including Xavi and Carles Puyol, he said he was keen to continue at Barcelona and did ‘everything he could to stay but it was not possible.

He said “I don’t know what to say here,’ he began. ‘These recent days I’ve been thinking, giving lots of thought to what I could say, and the truth is that I can’t think of anything. This is really difficult for me after so many years of being here my entire life. I’m not ready for this and honestly last year with all the nonsense with the burofax and everything, I knew what I wanted to say. But this year, this year is not the same. This year my family and I were convinced that we were going to stay here, that we were going to stay at our home – that’s what we wanted more than anything. We always made this our home, we were at home, and we thought we would be staying here in Barcelona. The time we’ve had here in the city has been amazing. But wow, today I have to say goodbye to all of this. I’m been here so many years, my entire life, since I was 13. After 21 years I’m leaving with my wife, with my three little Catalan-Argentine kids and I can’t tell you everything we’ve lived in this city and I can’t say that in a few years we won’t come back, because this is our home and I promised my children that. I’m just really grateful for everything, all my teammates, all my former teammates, everyone at the club, everyone who has been by my side. There’s so many people, even some I only met a few times. I have so much respect. So many beautiful things have happened – also some bad things – but all of this helped me to grow, helped me to improve, and made me the person that I am today. I gave everything for this club, for this shirt, from the first day I arrived until the very last. The truth is I’m leaving. I’m so grateful for the care people have shown me, I’d love to be able to go in a different way. I never imagined having to say goodbye because I never thought of it. Especially I imagined it with people on the pitch, the last cheers, but we’ve not been able to play in front of the fans this past year because of the pandemic and it’s been difficult not to hear their cheers, not to have them nearby, not to hear them shouting my name. And I leave this club now without seeing the fans for over a year and a half. If I’d have imagined it, I’d have imagined the Camp Nou full, being close to people and being able to say goodbye properly. But it has to be this way.’

Messi moved to Catalunya from Rosario as a 13-year-old and enjoyed enormous success at the club, winning 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns, and the Ballon d’Or six times.