Los Angeles (USA), Jul 15 (EFE).- Leo Messi signed his contract with Inter Miami this Saturday and assured that landing in the MLS and in soccer in the United States is “a fantastic opportunity” for him .
“I am very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” the Argentine star said in a statement.
“It is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue building this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the goals we set for ourselves and I am very eager to start helping here, in my new home”, he added.
The Argentine genius will occupy a position of ‘designated player’, a contractual figure that allows MLS teams to circumvent the league’s salary limits for their flashy signings.
Messi’s contract will end at the end of the 2025 MLS season, that is, it will last for two and a half seasons, taking into account that half of the 2023 campaign has already been played.
The USA will host the Copa América in 2024, the Club World Cup in 2025 and the National Team World Cup in 2026 together with Mexico and Canada.
Jorge Mas, one of the owners of Inter Miami and the day-to-day executive in charge of the club, said he was “honored” to welcome Messi and his family “to their new home.”
“In 2018 we made a promise to build an ambitious club that would attract the world’s elite players. A club that would transform the global vision of soccer in the US and ensure that wherever soccer is discussed, Inter Miami is part of the conversation. My sincere thanks to our fans, who never stopped believing. Together we will continue to turn dreams into reality”, he stated.
For his part, David Beckham, another of the owners of Inter Miami, recalled that he always had the dream of bringing the best players in the world “to this incredible city.”
“Players who share the ambition I had when I joined the LA Galaxy to help grow US soccer and build a legacy for the next generation of the game we love so much. Today that dream came true. I could not be more proud to have a player of Leo’s caliber join our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an incredible person and his beautiful family”, he detailed.
MLS was also “delighted”, in the words of its commissioner Don Garber, with Messi landing.
“His decision (to go to Inter Miami and MLS) is proof of the drive and energy of our league and our sport in North America,” he said.
You already saw the pink shirt and the 10
The official announcement of the signing of Messi by Inter Miami came minutes after this Saturday he shared his first images with the pink shirt and the 10 of the Florida team.
“Yeah guys. See you in Miami,” Messi said in a video on Twitter.
The video served as official confirmation that Messi will play in the MLS and at Inter Miami, although his signing had already been known since the beginning of June and the expectation surrounding his landing in the US has not stopped growing and growing in The last weeks.
“The greatest of all time is officially here. Welcome to the MLS, Lionel Messi”, wrote the league in its official account along with a photograph of the Argentine genius with the shirt of his new team and a ball in hand.
“Welcome 10”, also pointed out Inter Miami.
Messi is scheduled to be presented at a major event this Sunday, July 16 at the DRV PNK Stadium starting at 8:00 p.m. local time.
It is expected that the Spanish Sergio Busquets, who was a teammate of the Argentine star at Barcelona, will also be presented at this event.
Everything indicates that the debut of Messi and Busquets with Inter Miami will be on July 21 in the Inter Miami match against the Mexican Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
The Argentine Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, who has already coached Messi at Barcelona and in the Albiceleste team, led his first session as coach of Inter Miami on Monday and this Saturday he will sit for the first time on the bench of the Florida team in his away game against St. Louis City.
Inter Miami urgently needs all the reinforcements it can get to straighten out its season, since it is bottom of the East (18 points after 21 games) and accumulates ten games without knowing victory (three draws and seven losses). EFE