Lionel Messi is making the most of his time off as he soaks up the sunrays in a tropical paradise ahead of his blockbuster switch to new club Inter Miami.
He will not be short on sunny beaches and enviable weather when he rocks up in Florida later this month but the Argentinian icon appears to be enjoying himself before the hard work resumes at Vice City. The 36-year-old forward surprised the sporting world when he announced that he would be moving to South Beach this summer, snubbing a reunion with Barcelona and a lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia.
The Herons will need the World Cup winner to hit the ground running in the second half of the season after a torrid start to the campaign which has left them languishing in bottom place in the Eastern Conference. Worryingly, the franchise — which is co-owned by former Manchester United superstar David Beckham — has also won just once in its last ten fixtures and sits nine points off the playoff spots.
However, the task at hand can wait for the Camp Nou hero who is set to make his debut for his new employers in the Leagues Cup versus Mexican outfit Cruz Azul on July 21. In the meantime, the diminutive winger is sunning himself in Barbados alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three sons as they prepare to move to a new continent.
Messi will be hoping to quickly settle into life stateside upon his arrival, though, with the fact that he already owns a house in Miami potentially meaning that the transition will be that bit easier for his young family. To help with this he will be joined by former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets, with coach Gerardo Martino also having managed the pair at club level before at Camp Nou.
The expectation levels ahead of Messi's transfer to MLS have reached fever pitch, with tickets to see the forward in action having sold out around the US and tickets having been listed for eye-watering prices. Even so, the departing PSG ace appears to be hopeful that his rock-star status will not get in the way of him leading a quieter life out in the US than he has been used to in Europe.
Upon announcing his intentions to move to Miami this summer, he said: "After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the US league to experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day.
"Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to want to win and to always do things well. But with more peace of mind."
Despite his intentions for a more reserved lifestyle out in Florida, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has predicted that the striker's transfer could have a transformative impact on the popularity of the sport in the US. He told El Pais that he foresees Messi's arrival providing a catalyst for MLS to become one of the world's greatest leagues in the future.
He said: "I think there will always be a before and after Messi when we talk about the sport in the United States. I have a very strong belief that we can create, in North America and the United States, if not the greatest league, one of the top two leagues in the world."
