Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has sent a welcome message to Lionel Messi following the Argentine superstar’s arrival at the club.
Messi was officially unveiled as Miami’s new flagship signing on Saturday and has now been welcomed by the player that helped begin the trend of global stars coming to play in the MLS.
Beckham joining LA Galaxy in 2007 paved the way for a number of household names to move to America, including the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Kaka, and Messi has now taken this to another level with his arrival in Miami.
On his Instagram page, Beckham shared his delight that Messi was joining his franchise, and highlighted the growth of MLS since his playing days.
“The next chapter of our story starts here. Ten years ago when I started this journey, I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to Miami… Players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in this country and build a legacy in this sport that we love so much. Today that dream came true. I couldn’t be prouder that a player of Leo’s calibre is joining our club but I’m also delighted to welcome a friend, an amazing person and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community.”
Who are the biggest signings in MLS history?
Beckham still remains one of the biggest names to have played in MLS, but Messi arguably eclipses any other player to have come to the States, given his status as arguably the greatest player of all time.
Gerrard, Lampard and Kaka all arrived as players who had won the Champions League and featured internationally, whilst Thierry Henry’s stint at New York Red Bulls also caught a lot of attention.
Gareth Bale’s short stint following his exit from Real Madrid saw him win the MLS Cup, whilst other successes include Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Sergio Busquets is also joining Miami alongside Messi, and he is not the only ex-Barcelona hero to make the move. Henry, David Villa and Ibrahimovic all arrived as ex-Blaugrana players, and Gonzalo Higuain helps Kaka, Bale and Beckham make up the Real Madrid contingent.