UNITED STATES: Lionel Messi, the 36-year-old seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, has officially departed Paris St-Germain and signed a contract with Inter Miami in the United States.
Messi, who led Argentina to victory in the World Cup in Qatar last year, expressed his excitement about embarking on the next phase of his career with Inter Miami.
David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, described the signing as “a dream come true.” Messi, who has never played for a club outside of Europe before, added, “This is an incredible opportunity, and we will continue to build this amazing project together.”
Beckham, who began his journey to develop a new team in Miami a decade ago, aims to sign players of Messi’s caliber and has set ambitious goals for the club. He intends to bring the best players from around the world to Miami, contribute to the growth of football in the US, and leave a lasting legacy in the sport.
Messi’s arrival in the Inter Miami community is highly anticipated, and as per the reports, he will be available to play in Miami’s Leagues Cup opener against Cruz Azul.
Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS), expressed his excitement over Lionel Messi, the world’s greatest player, choosing to join Inter Miami and play in MLS. Garber believes that Messi’s presence will showcase the league’s potential and attract more top players to choose North America as their destination. Messi is expected to make his Inter Miami debut in the Leagues Cup competition later this month.
Having won his seventh Ballon d’Or trophy for Argentina in 2021, Messi had a successful stint at PSG, scoring 32 goals in 75 games and contributing 16 goals and 16 assists in Ligue 1. After a remarkable 21-year career with Barcelona, where he set the record for goals scored with 672, Messi made the switch to the French club in 2021.
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