07 June 2023 , 19:07
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Lionel Messi will join MLS side Inter Miami in a stunning capture for David Beckham's franchise following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain
It was the transfer David Beckham had dreamed of making ever since Inter Miami was first established back in 2018, with the former England captain having beaten Barcelona and Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal to his signature. For a while it had appeared that the 35-year-old would be moving to the latter, with an eye-watering sum of $400 million to per year having been offered for his services.
The offer in question would have seen him reassume his rivalry with old foe Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently turns out for Al Nassr. The ambitious Saudi Pro League is also gearing up to welcome current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema this summer.
However, it emerged that the two standout options for Messi's camp were either an emotional return to the Camp Nou or a new chapter stateside in the MLS. Ultimately, the World Cup winner has now decided to depart Europe for a first time in his professional career.
“I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “I still don't have it 100% completed, but we decided to continue my journey there.”
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During his time with Barcelona, Messi won an incredible 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and seven Spanish Cups, alongside six Ballon d'Ors. He also capped off his storied stay in Europe with two Ligue 1 titles in as many years at PSG.
But any idea of him returning to Spain was a non-starter: "I had a lot of hope that I’d be able to come back, but after living what I lived through and the exit that I had (from Barcelona), I didn’t want to come back to be in the same situation: to wait and see what was going to happen or leave my future in the hands of another person.”
Lionel Messi may be set for a blockbuster move to the MLS to join David Beckham's Inter Miami. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)The offer to move to South Beach includes several bumper commercial tie-ins and the fact that he already owns a house in Miami. On top of this, his relationship with Beckham has always appeared strong, with the pair having been pictured together on the ex-Manchester United star's visit to PSG's training base last month.
In truth, the courtship between the fledgling club and the player goes back five years, when the club's establishment was officially announced. In 2018, Messi congratulated Beckham via video and left open the possibility that he could eventually join the franchise, saying coyly: “Who knows, maybe in a few years you can give me a ring?”
Whether his contract will contain clauses similar to the one Beckham signed upon his arrival at LA Galaxy back in 2007 remains to be seen. The Inter Miami co-owner was offered the chance to buy an expansion franchise 16 years ago, which eventually came to fruition, of course.
What is certain is that this transfer is not only a landmark deal in the story of Inter Miami but also in the history of the MLS. If Beckham's signing back for the LA Galaxy back in 2007 was a game-changer for the sport stateside, one imagines the arrival of Messi could take the popularity of soccer to stratospheric levels.