MIAMI, FL – Weeks after it was announced on Twitter that Leo Messi would join the MLS and play for Inter Miami, the MLS and Inter Miami have officially announced the arrival of the Argentinian World Cup winner to South Florida.
Messi signed a two year deal with the club worth around $60 million per year. It is expected that the contract worth in total is around $150 million. Messi arrived in Florida on Tuesday and had his mandatory physicals the day after on Wednesday so the deal could continue to be worked out. As of today the deal has been officially finalized. The seven time Ballon d’Or winner makes his Miami move after two lackluster years in Paris at PSG with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr.
In an official statement released by the club Messi said that he is “very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States, This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.” After going viral yesterday for making his first official appearance in a Publix Supermarket, it’s safe to say Messi is fitting in just right here in Florida.
Messi spent 19 years in Europe competing in LaLiga in Spain for FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2021. There Messi built up his reputation and resume for being known as one of the greatest players in the world. He had won multiple league championships and UEFA Champions League titles four times, all seven of his Ballon d’Or titles were won during his time in Barcelona. After the Covid-19 pandemic lots of European teams were hit with debt due to there being no season, Barcelona was one of the teams affected by the debt crisis and let Messi go on a free transfer. Messi joined Ligue 1 with the French giants PSG where he teamed up with Kylian Mbappe who in his own right is up for the best player in the world conversation and Neymar Jr. who was also in that conversation. The trio won the Ligue 1 title in the two years Messi had spent in Paris, unfortunately off the field drama and early eliminations in the UEFA Champions League in both years marred the trios reputation. After winning the 2022 World Cup with his home country of Argentina, Messi sought out a new challenge, and now he has arrived to conquer the MLS.
Inter Miami announced that Messi will be unveiled to the Miami faithful tomorrow at 6pm at DRV Park Stadium, after putting out a video unveiling showing us Messi in the signature Inter Miami pink and black coloring. His official on field debut will be July 21st against Cruz Azul at home in a group stage match for the 2023 Leagues Cup.
