2023-07-15 18:43:57
One day before his official presentation, star Lionel Messi made an official commitment this Saturday to Inter Miami until the end of the 2025 North American League (MLS) season.
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The 36-year-old Argentine captain will join Inter “in the coming days and his contract will run until the 2025 MLS season,” David Beckham’s co-owned team said.
“I am very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” Messi said in the text. “It’s a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the goals we set for ourselves, and I can’t wait to start helping here in my new home,” he added.
(In other sports: Tour de France 2023: tremendous battle between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar).
Inter, a team immersed in a deep sporting crisis, also released the first images of Messi wearing his pink number 10 shirt on Saturday. “Yes, guys. See you in Miami,” says a smiling Messi at the end of the 40-year-old video. seconds, filmed at the DRV PNK stadium where on Sunday he will be presented in style to his new fans.
Inter also confirmed that the first match in which Messi will be available to make his debut will be on July 21 against Cruz Azul in the opening of the Leagues Cup, a tournament in which all MLS and Mexican league teams will compete for a month. .
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“Ten years ago, when I began my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamed of bringing the best players in the world to this incredible city,” recalled Beckham, the former most media star in MLS history in his passing through the LA Galaxy.
“Today that dream has come true. I couldn’t be more proud to have a player of Leo’s caliber join our club, but I’m also delighted to welcome a good friend, incredible person and his beautiful family to to join our community,” said the Englishman.
“The greatest player in the world has officially arrived in MLS. Welcome to Miami, Leo Messi! We are so excited to have you,” said Don Garber, the league commissioner, celebrating the most important signing of the competition. in its 27 years of existence.
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complex deal
About to end his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi announced at the beginning of June his intention to leave European football and start a new stage in MLS with Inter.
The negotiations, however, lasted more than a month due to the complexity of his contract, which is estimated to bring him between 50 and 60 million dollars a year, including a part of the profits that his sponsor Adidas and the giant Apple will obtain. which this year began broadcasting MLS matches, in addition to a future participation of the player in the club’s property.
Messi will occupy one of the three franchise player (“designated”) positions that each franchise has for hires that do not impact the salary cap. Until his arrival, the highest paid figure in MLS was Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire), captain of the Swiss team, with 8.1 million dollars a year. According to the digital media The Athletic, the contract of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner includes an option to extend it for one more season until 2026, the year in which the United States will co-organize the World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
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Argentina will defend the trophy won in the World Cup in Qatar-2022 at that event under the absolute leadership of Messi, who acknowledged that due to his age it is “difficult” for him to play his sixth World Cup in 2026, but he has not ruled it out either. Messi becomes the great icon of soccer in the United States for a period in which he will be the epicenter of the great soccer tournaments.
In addition to the World Cup, the United States will host the 2024 Copa América and the first expanded Club World Cup in 2025, as well as the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
the miami party
Miami, a city with a large Latino community, lives revolutionized with the arrival of Messi. On Sunday he will welcome his new idol with a huge party at the DRV PNK stadium, where he is working to expand its capacity to 18,000 seats. Baptized as “The Unveil”, the event will be broadcast worldwide on Apple TV+ and will feature a musical show in which Inter, according to rumors published by local media, wants stars like Bad Bunny, Shakira or Maluma.
The highlight of the ceremony will take place during the break of the Concacaf Gold Cup final, which will be played by Mexico and Panama in Los Angeles, to be broadcast on national television. The veteran Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets could also be presented at the event, one of the reinforcements that should help Messi to redirect the course of Inter Miami.
(Keep reading: Messi, to the rhythm of ‘Muchachos’, revolutionizes the networks: spectacular Miami version).
Beckham’s team, with only three years of life in the MLS, is located in the last position of the Eastern Conference, 11 points from the playoff places with 13 games to play. Still without Messi, Inter will visit St. Louis City this Saturday in the debut on the bench of Gerardo Martino, who already coincided with the star in Barcelona and the Argentine team.
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