Messi is now a free agent, and rumors about his future away from Inter Miami are growing.

Starting this Tuesday, July 1, Lionel Messi is officially a free agent, as established by the FIFA regulations, a fact that becomes relevant amid rumors of his possible departure from Inter Miami.

With this status, the captain of the Argentina National Team can sign with any club in the world after finishing his contract with the American club, which expires on December 31.

FIFA regulations contemplate this possibility for players without a club and also for those who are within the six months prior to the expiration of their contract, allowing them to negotiate without their club receiving financial compensation.

The change in status of the Argentine star coincides with reports indicating a certain discontent with the sporting level of an Inter Miami that has struggled to be competitive since his arrival.

A possible change of course for Messi is also linked to his preparation for what would be the last World Cup of his career, which will be played in the middle of next year. The best player in the world intends to move to a more competitive league to arrive in the best possible shape for the World Cup.

Among the alternatives is Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia, a quarterfinalist in the Club World Cup after surprisingly eliminating Manchester City in the round of 16, which has already started efforts to present a formal offer. On the sentimental side, Newell’s dreams of having the Rosario native in the semester before the World Cup, inspired by the effect caused by the returns of Ángel Di María to Rosario Central and Leandro Paredes to Boca.

The million-dollar impact his departure would have

If Messi leaves at the end of the year, Major League Soccer would lose nearly 300 million dollars. Since his arrival at Inter Miami, the club has caused about 265 million dollars in ticket sales and another 29.7 million in Apple TV subscriptions, according to data from the newspaper Sport.