Rainy marriage, happy marriage … It was in the rain, but in euphoria, that Inter Miami presented its new muse on Sunday: the seven-time Argentinian Ballon d’Or and world champion Lionel Messi. Neither the pouring rain nor the thunder prevented hearing the cries of the 20,000 fans gathered in the enclosure of the Florida club, in Fort Lauderdale, to welcome their new star.
The star of the evening appeared on the lawn in the dark, white and pink Inter Miami t-shirt on the shoulders, nearly 1:30 late due to bad weather conditions. Microphone in hand, shoes in the puddles that appeared on the stage, number 10, smiling, thanked the crowd: “I have no doubt that we are going to have a lot of fun, that we are going to go from good times and that very beautiful things are going to happen”, he launched, receiving an ovation in return.
Messi, 36, announced in June that he would leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract to join the Florida team, bottom of the Eastern Conference of MLS, the North American league. He is committed until 2025. Proof of the enthusiasm aroused by his arrival, it was necessary to install temporary stands to accommodate all those who wanted to see him join the third club of his professional career, after FC Barcelona and the PSG.
The “Pulga” is undoubtedly the greatest footballer to sign in this championship since Pelé and his time at the New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977, well beyond the Frenchman Thierry Henry at the New York Red Bulls (2010-2014), from Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the L.A Galaxy (2018-2002), or David Beckham at the same club (2007-2012). The former England international is also co-owner of Inter Miami.
The Manchester United legend is behind the arrival of the world champion. “Ten years ago, when I set out to establish a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamed of bringing the greatest players in the world to this extraordinary city (…) I will not be able to be prouder to see a player of Leo’s caliber join our club, and I’m also thrilled to welcome a good friend and his family to the Inter Miami community,” Beckham said.
Lionel Messi is there, his former Barça teammate Sergio Busquets has also been confirmed, there is still the question of the arrival of full-back Jordi Alba, close to the two players, to perhaps revive the team. The world champion will also find one of his former coaches at the Blaugranas: Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who was also coach of the Albiceleste.
Messi is set to make his debut on the pitch on July 21 against Mexican club Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a new tournament between MLS and Mexican league teams taking place in the summer. As soon as his signature was announced, the cheapest places to attend went from 29 to 329 dollars on the online sales platform TickPick, an increase of more than 1,000%. Fort Lauderdale is in turmoil.
It is also in this seaside resort, located 50 km from Miami, that the sevenfold Ballon d’Or has already been seen in a supermarket. “I am very happy to have chosen to come and play in this city with my family, to have chosen this project”, declared the world champion in front of the 20,000 supporters of Inter Miami on Sunday.
In Paris, Lionel Messi and those close to him seemed to be suffocating. “I arrived living in a hotel, I found no pleasure”, he confided in June to the Spanish press, before adding: “These are two years during which I was not happy, I I didn’t have fun, and it affected my family life, I missed a lot of things in my children’s lives at school.
