Soccer superstar Messi heading to Inter Miami

Superstar soccer player Lionel Messi on Wednesday surprised many by announcing that he would begin the next phase of his storied career not in Saudi Arabia, but in the United States, joining the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami.

Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or as the world's best player seven times, said, "After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way."

The 35-year-old has spent the past two years at French club Paris Saint Germain and has racked up more than 800 goals in his 17-year career.

Many legendary European and South American players have wound down their careers in the US but Messi remains at the top of his game, representing a potentially huge boost not only to struggling Miami but the league as a whole.