MLS
“Holy water” for Messi – Miami celebrates new World Champion signing
Welcome world champion: David Beckham (r) and his colleagues welcome Lionel Messi (middle left) in Miami. photo
© Rebecca Blackwell/AP/dpa
The reveal becomes a Miami-style show. There is an extra from heaven. Anyway, Lionel Messi is having a lot of fun, the family is there too.
Rap music roared in the background, rain pelted overhead. Almost embarrassed, he scratched himself Lionel Messi on the neck. “Thank you, thank you. Good evening, good evening,” said the 36-year-old Argentine in Spanish – and the crowd went wild.
18,000 fans came to the presentation of the world champion, to the first big show about the soccer giants as the new mega-star of Major League Soccer, as the new Inter Miami professional.
There was no shortage of superlatives, including fireworks. “We’re doing it Miami-style tonight: That’s holy water,” said club co-owner Jorge Mas, looking at the sometimes heavy rainfall, which even led to a two-hour delay in the “unveiling” of the long-open secret.
About five weeks ago, in an interview, Messi announced his decision to continue the football adventure in the USA in the Florida sun after two rather frustrating and frosty years at Paris Saint-Germain. His contract is for two seasons through 2025 and he is reportedly making between $50 million and $60 million a year. Messi had rejected a much higher offer from Saudi Arabia.
Welcome Greetings from Brady & Co.
Now he stood there, with a big grin, Messi followed the welcome greetings on the huge screen – from US national coach Gregg Berhalter to football legend Tom Brady and basketball star Stephen Curry to various artists and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. And visibly proud, but also moved, a few meters from Messi, the former English soccer pop star David Beckham followed the words to the Argentine, from whom US soccer is hoping, not least as the upcoming co-host of the World Cup, for a further boost.
“Ten years ago I started the journey of building a new MLS team,” said Beckham. “I said then that it was a dream to bring the best players in the world to South Florida and the great city of Miami. Players who share our goal of growing football in this country.” He kept his word.
Along with Beckham’s family and Mas’s, Messi’s three sons – befitting their dad’s number 10 jersey – and his wife were allowed on stage. The fact that the performance of Sergio Busquets, ex-world champion and 143-time Spain international was only part of the sidelines on this rainy evening said everything about the Messi-mania in Miami.
“Everything so bombastic exaggerated”
“It was all so bombastic,” wrote the Miami Herald. One half expected Lionel Messi to slowly appear over the stadium, floating towards the admiring crowd in a flowing robe. “Not with a trick or on the ropes of a parachute, but because it’s Messi, the super being among mortals, magicians, the greatest among the greatest of all time.”
Sportingly, Messi, who has won 35 titles with FC Barcelona and another two with PSG, faces a major challenge. Even if the club bosses do everything to create a feel-good atmosphere for the world champion, even with former companions like Busquets or coach and compatriot Gerardo Martino.
The team is currently last in the Eastern Conference. 14 of 22 games were lost. But Messi, who is due to make his Inter debut next Friday (local time) in the Leagues Cup against Mexico’s Cruz Azul, has already announced: “Great things are about to happen.”
Video of Messi’s performance on YouTube