David Beckham has detailed how close FC Barcelona came to signing Lionel Messi this summer before the forward opted to join Inter Miami.
The reigning Ballon d’Or holder has been linked with a return to Barcelona ever since Messi left the La Liga giants, with the Catalan side even linked with a January loan move for the attacker.
And Beckham has now revealed via the Times how close Barcelona actually were to signing Messi, with the Inter Miami owner worried the Argentine would snub MLS for a return back to his beloved club.
Beckham said on Barcelona’s interest in Messi: “We always knew there would be competition. The time I got a bit worried was when Barcelona showed interest.
“The club obviously pulls on his heartstrings and he never really got to say the goodbye he deserved there. That was the only time I started to worry he might go somewhere else.
“But we did everything possible, me, Jorge and Jose [Mas]. And then getting that phone call that he’s decided to come to us, It still gives me goosebumps.”
David Beckham did well to convince Lionel Messi to join Inter Miami over Barcelona
A return to Barcelona felt like the most plausible move for Messi when news broke that PSG had released the Argentine superstar this summer.
Yet credit must be placed on Beckham and company’s shoulders for getting the record-breaking Ballon d’Or winner to swap Europe for Miami, with the transfer simply one of the biggest in soccer history.
Messi has brought prestige and glamour back to MLS and made Inter Miami one of the most famous clubs in the entire planet, and Beckham’s work in putting a deal together is admirable.
With Barcelona now unlikely to ever reunite with Messi, we can now enjoy the greatest of all time do what he does best at a club that has seemingly been built for him, with 2024 an exciting year.