Inter Miami co-owner and football legend David Beckham promised to the Miami faithful that the best is yet to come as Lionel Messi was officially unveiled to the public Sunday night.
Arguably the best player to ever play the beautiful game has joined Major League Soccer, and there’s a good chance it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for David Beckham, who made a similar move just over 15 years ago.
Beckham, who was still in his prime at 31 years old when he joined LA Galaxy in 2007, had just left Real Madrid and chose to become a spearhead for football in the United States. Now, Messi, who’s coming off a season in which he won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, had plenty of offers from European clubs but chose to join Inter Miami – a similar decision that Beckham made all those years ago.
“Tonight is a typical Miami welcome for one of the greatest players to have ever played the game and the fact that we have our fans in here celebrating this moment,” the former England international said in front of a packed DRV PINK Stadium. “My commitment in 2007 was to the sport and to building the sport in this country.”
As many will know, Messi is not the only ex-Barcelona player joining the Herons. Veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets is also joining as a Designated Player, and left-back Jordi Alba is also expected to make the move to Miami after leaving the Catalan giants on a free transfer.
It doesn’t stop at former Barcelona players, though. Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino is now the head coach of Inter Miami, and despite their 3-0 thumping at the hands of St. Louis City (Martino’s first game in charge) things will look a lot different next time out for the former Mexico national team manager. Martino was the Barca boss in the 2013/14 season, while all the trio of Busquets, Alba, and Messi were still at Camp Nou.
“We are building a special club here at Inter Miami, a club that represents this special place and its people. And it’s a club that cares about the community it serves,” Beckham added. “Our fans are what make Inter Miami unique. We are so grateful for your faith, your passion and your energy. Together, we will create unforgettable memories.”
“Like all of you, I cannot wait to see Leo take the field in our colors. Ladies and gentlemen, the next chapter of our story starts here.”
Messi is now gearing up to make his debut for Inter Miami on July 21 against Liga MX’s Cruz Azul in the 2023 Leagues Cup.
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