MIAMI — The greatest player in soccer is going to be making his way to America for his next professional stop in the sport.

Lionel Messi confirmed that he will play for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF after his contract with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain expires in June. He was also weighing a major offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad of Saudi Professional League.

This makes Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner for world’s best soccer player and 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina, arguably the most high-profile signing by an MLS club since play began in 1996.

He joins an Inter Miami CF club that started play in 2020 and is co-owned by former superstar David Beckham, who is also the team’s president. Beckham himself joined MLS after a successful European soccer career in 2007 when he signed with the LA Galaxy.

Messi spent the majority of his professional soccer career with FC Barcelona of La Liga in Spain, taking the pitch for their top-level club from 2004 through 2021. He joined Paris Saint-Germain after that and was with that club for two years.

During his time in Europe, Messi won the European Golden Shoe (or Golden Boot) six times as the leading scorer playing in a top division professional league.

The superstar is just as well known for his play on the international stage with Argentina, playing in 174 games for his home country. The all-time leading scorer in national team history, he led Argentina to their first World Cup title since 1986 in November and December 2022 in Qatar.