21 July 2023 , 19:46
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As Lionel Messi takes to the field for the first time as an Inter Miami player, the parallels with David Beckham's debut will be obvious but one key detail could well be repeated.
The World Cup winner is expected to make his bow for his new employers in a Leagues Cup clash versus Mexican outfit Cruz Azul on June 21, which is the same date the former England captain made his first appearance for LA Galaxy. Of course, the latter is now the co-owner of the Herons and had a transformative impact on MLS after signing from Real Madrid back in 2007.
His debut for the Californian franchise came as a substitute in the 78th minute in an exhibition match versus against Chelsea, who were then managed by Jose Mourinho — during the Portuguese coach's first spell in charge of the Blues. Beckham's move to the Galaxy had been announced in the January of that year but he spent six months with Los Blancos before finally making the switch to the US.
Taking to the field at what was then known as the Home Depot Center, the free-kick specialist emerged in front of 27,000 supporters as a replacement for American striker Alan Gordon. The 115-time international would go on to play 118 times for the club, scoring 20 times, while lifting the MLS Cup on two occasions over a six year spell.
Household names had played in MLS before in the cases of Ballon d'Or victors Lothar Matthaus and Hristo Stoichkov but never before had a star of the former Manchester United winger's celebrity turned out for a team in the league. However, the impact of his arrival in the US really cannot be understated, with superstars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard having followed him to the US afterwards.
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Of course, without the former Old Trafford favourite's transfer to LA Galaxy back in 2007, the Designated Player Rule — which allows each MLS team to sign three players earning in excess of the league's salary cap — would not have been introduced. In essence, without even acknowledging the increase in exposure that came as a result of Beckham's arrival, the legacy of the deal still being felt to this day.
Pulling off a coup of a similar magnitude would be a tall order most any league but it would be fair to say that attracting the man who many people believe to be the greatest to ever play the game in the form of Messi represents the deal of a lifetime for Miami's chiefs. The former Barcelona hero joins some 16 years after Beckham first pulled on a Galaxy shirt and is expected to receive a rock star-like reception as he prepares to tour the US in the coming years.
Lionel Messi was presented to Inter Miami fans on Sunday (AP)The iconic winger will have to wait to make his MLS debut, with Vice City's next clash in the league coming a month after the game versus Cruz Azul. Before then, two Leagues Cup games are in the diary, with the second match in the competition coming against Atlanta United before a return to MLS action on August 21 versus Charlotte FC.
Whether Messi will appear as a substitute or even potentially sit out of the clash with Cruz Azul will be left up to head coach Tata Martino, according to co-owner Beckham. He previously explained to ESPN Argentina, that the player and manager will make a decision on this privately, saying: "We don't know if Leo [Messi] is going to play the game or if he will have minutes, because I think that, after all, he needs to be ready.
"We have to protect him and make sure that he is ready, because he has been on vacation and has just arrived in Miami. He has trained and he looks good. I think Leo and Tata [Martino] will decide when and if he plays on Friday, but the atmosphere here will be amazing and hopefully we can get the win."