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Lionel Messi, an Argentine professional footballer was officially unveiled as an Inter Miami player in front of a packed crowd at the DRV PNK Stadium. More than 20,000 fans fighting the summer storm in South Florida to witness the Argentina captain lift his number 10 jersey and greet him with a loud cheer.
In the twilight of his career, the footballer Lionel Messi heartedly followed in the footsteps of Dwyane Wade, Dan Marino, and LeBron James on Sunday as he was unveiled as Miami’s latest sporting superstar. Unlikely to match the legendary achievements of these stars while his time in Florida, but he reiterated his intent to make a big impact in Major League Soccer after two largely forgettable seasons at Paris Saint-Germain.
Bienvenido a nuestra familia💗🖤 pic.twitter.com/k7VOSGo1lv
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 17, 2023
Lionel Messi joins the MLS team
The Argentina football player’s career has been on turns ever since his Saudi Arabia contract and his fans were confused whether he would join the Inter-Miami back or continue otherwise.
The first official appearance of Messi as an Inter-Miami player was when he announced his decision to come back and join the club in June. The appearance was televised live and took place in front of his thousands of cheering fans. But a slight delay was seen expecting the summer storms.
Lionel Messi who was seven months removed from leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, was presented to fans during a glitzy event called ‘The Unveil’ at Miami’s home stadium.
The Argentinian took to the stage during the ceremony, addressing his fans, to roars of appreciation from the packed stands and a firework display in the skies above the stadium. And that is how Messi joins his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets at the MLS side, which is co-owned by David Beckham.
The Argentine was never universally loved in the French capital but to everyone’s surprise, he received a fantastic reception after being presented to the Miami fans with his new jersey.
Lionel Messi addressing his fans
Messi was pictured speaking enthusiastically with his fans, addressing the crowd alongside the co-owner of the Inter-Miami team David Beckham during the ceremony. In Messi’s words:
“I am very happy to have chosen to come to this city with my family, to have chosen this project and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it very much,” said Messi. “We are going to have a good time and great things are going to happen. Thank you very much, thank you all for this day. I can’t wait to start training to compete. I feel the same desire I’ve always had to compete, to really want to win and to help it (Miami) continue to grow.”
Addressing the audience, David Beckham and Lionel Messi agreed that the move will start new beginnings, a new chapter for the player as well as for the team. Messi’s arrival was indeed a huge boost for the profile of soccer in the United States, which is expected to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
“Like all of you, I cannot wait to see Leo take the field in our colors,” Beckham told the crowd moments before Messi was introduced. “Ladies and gentlemen, the next chapter of our story starts here.”
The Argentine’s first game in an Inter Miami shirt looks set to be against Mexican side Cruz Azul on July 21 in the Leagues Cup. Fans are all geared up for the upcoming matches.
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