Just before 9pm on Sunday, the greatest footballer of our time, and arguably the greatest footballer of all time, walked across a makeshift stage at his new home stadium. He hugged the new team owners, including former star David Beckham. Lionel Messi, holding his new jersey, the pink number 10, grinned and looked up at the crowd and the fireworks.
Messi, who captained Argentina to victory in December’s World Cup and won seven Ballon d’Or titles as the best player in the world, chose MLS side Inter Miami as his team in the twilight of his career. If so, his unveiling event proved, yes, this actually happened.
“First and foremost, I want to thank you for this welcome and kindness you have shown me since coming to Miami,” Messi said in his first public statement since announcing the monumental deal, which will last until the 2025 MLS season. said in Spanish. Saturday. “Honestly, I am very emotional and very happy to be here in Miami with all of you.”
The 36-year-old Messi spent two minutes speaking directly to Inter Miami fans who chanted his last name all night at the DRV PNK Stadium, about 30 miles north of downtown Miami. Messi’s introduction was called “La Presenta Síon”, a presentation emphasizing “Sí” (“yes”) in Spanish. And in typical South Florida fashion, it was done in the rain.
Messi, who chose Miami, where he already owns property, turned down a chance to play in Saudi Arabia, where the team offered a significantly higher sum. He also turned down the possibility of returning to Barcelona, where he had hoped to sign at the age of 13, win all the major trophies and remain there before moving to Paris Saint Petersburg. 2021 Germain.
Long before Messi’s French stint ended in disappointment this summer, Inter Miami owners dreamed of bringing him to South Florida. Sunday’s event and the weeks leading up to it show just how much Messi has already impacted American clubs, regions and football.
“There will always be before and after Lionel Messi,” said Jorge Mas, the Cuban-American billionaire and managing owner of Inter Miami, who entered its inaugural season in 2020.
“We are the beneficiaries of the legacy of the best players in the world, which started with Newell’s Old Boys, went through Barcelona and ended with PSG,” continued Mass, referring to Messi’s previous teams, including Argentina’s youth team. mentioned. “But today it’s in the hands of Inter Miami and its fans. This is our moment. A moment that will change the football world in this country.”
The rain had stopped by the time Messi made his speech, but heavy rains disrupted the early festivities and flooded parts of the temporary stadium. (Inter Miami hope to move to a proposed new stadium near Miami International Airport in 2025.) On Sunday, the 19,000-seat stadium will certainly include Barcelona’s Camp Nou and Paris’ Parc. Although it didn’t have the scale or energy of De Prince, most stadiums had fans wearing team and Messi gear. One shirtless fan waved a giant flag featuring Messi in the Argentina national team jersey. Argentina’s jersey was the second most popular outfit choice, with several fans wearing Messi’s Barcelona jersey.
The celebration was broadcast worldwide in English and Spanish on Apple TV, MLS’ inaugural streaming partner, and despite some glitches, Mexico’s 1-0 win over Panama Concacaf It intentionally overlapped with the halftime of the Gold Cup final.
Mass and Beckham spoke before Messi addressed the crowd. Beckham, the British player best known for signing with MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, read a prepared commentary from his mobile phone, sprinkled with Spanish. Mr. Mas used both languages throughout his speech. After all, Miami is the unofficial capital of Latin America, and Florida has the largest Argentinian community in the United States.
Beckham said, “I know the people of South Florida really embrace you.” “We are establishing a special club here at Inter Miami to represent this special place and its people.”
Before Messi’s arrival, Beckham introduced the team’s second player to watch this summer: Sergio Busquets, Messi’s former teammate at Barcelona. Busquets also spoke, but it was brief. The night was imperfect, but it was all about Messi.
Messi, who is not known for his talkativeness, was brief on Sunday. Dressed in a white Inter Miami T-shirt and jeans, Messi thanked the team’s owner group for making him and his family feel welcome. He said he hopes the fans will continue to follow and grow with the team.
“There is a strong desire to start training and play games,” said Messi, who joins the team at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference. “I have always had the desire to compete and win.”
Messi also thanked his teammates who were on the field.
“I am very happy that I chose to come to this city with my family and choose this project,” he said. “We’ll enjoy it, we’ll have a good time, and I have no doubt that great things will happen.”
After Messi handed over the microphone, many celebrities such as former Argentine basketball player Manu Ginobili and Miami residents Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan appeared on the big screen to welcome Messi to the city. A good luck video was played. Afterwards, Messi’s family and owner also took the stage to pose for photos. A musical act followed.
Messi then signed autographs for fans in the stands. Tuesday will be his first official training session with his teammates and Friday will be his first match. This is his new home.
