Lionel Messi (36) has arrived in the United States, beginning a new and perhaps final chapter in his impressive career. The Argentine world champion was introduced to his new club, Inter Miami, on Sunday, and is expected to make his debut on Friday. Florida City is ready for Messi's arrival, but his club still has a lot to do.
After spending a vacation in the Bahamas, Messi arrived with his family in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, on Tuesday. The Argentine got off a private plane and was able to head to the so-called DRV PNK Stadium, the temporary home where he will play his home matches.
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Koen van der Velden describes De Volkskrant About sports in the United States. Lives in New York.
Away from the eyes of countless camera crews, he underwent a medical there later in the week and was introduced to his new team-mates, the humans replacing world stars like Mbappe and Neymar. Previously, they could only approach Messi using a notepad.
Just over a month ago, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner stunned by selecting Inter Miami, co-owner David Beckham's club. In Florida, Messi signed a unique agreement: in addition to more than $50 million in salary, he receives a portion of the income from the streaming company Apple TV and the clothing sponsor Adidas. He also gets a share in the club. Messi is expected to play football in Miami for at least two and a half seasons.
Quality of life
The quality of life in particular attracted him to the warm southern city, where he had often vacationed in recent years and where he owned a floor in a luxury apartment building. “After winning everything, it's time to have fun,” Messi said in an interview with an Argentine television channel. This does not mean that he will gradually abandon Major League Soccer, a league that has been greatly revamped and cannot be exploited. Messi stressed, “My mentality will not change in the United States, and I will do my best.”
It will be necessary. The Miami Soccer League is currently in last place in the MLS East Division. With Messi, but also Sergio Busquets, his old teammate at Barcelona, the pink shirts should find their way to the top. Gerardo “Tata” Martino was appointed coach of the team. The Argentine previously worked with Barcelona and the national team with Messi, and became an MLS champion with Atlanta United in 2018.
Messi will make his debut in his own stadium on Friday in the League Cup, a cup tournament with American and Mexican clubs. Tickets to the game cost hundreds of dollars, whereas a few months ago they could be obtained for ten dollars.
In anticipation of the Argentine, the DRV PNK Stadium underwent a transformation: new stands were installed in the corners of the temporary main court – in 2025, the club will move to the larger and not yet built Freedom Park in Miami. It has been borrowed from the Formula 1 circuit in Miami and provides an additional three thousand seats.
No crushing barriers
Security measures around the stadium have also been tightened. There was almost nothing,” reserve goalkeeper Nick Marsman said when Messi's arrival was announced. The club was not prepared for that, the Dutchman told ESPN. During matches that witnessed moderate attendance, the players walked from the training complex to the field without crowd barriers. Nothing prevents fans from entering the stadium. Club owner Jorge Mas confirmed that things will be different with Messi in the team.
For the first time in his career, Messi is playing in a country where football is not the most popular sport. But in Miami, a city with strong Latin American influences, this is unlikely to be noticed. One local student responded: “Messi is a god here.” The athlete. “He won't be able to walk the streets.”
When he visited a restaurant in Miami Beach last Thursday, the football player was greeted by a fan who was wearing an Argentine national team shirt. The man placed a kiss on Messi's cheek, who kissed it while laughing. However, he was later able to go shopping at the supermarket without discomfort.
Excite the Argentines
There is great excitement about Messi's arrival, especially among the nearly one hundred thousand Argentines in the city. And in Little Buenos Aires, the neighborhood where many of them live, every restaurant owner hopes the soccer star will come to eat.
In the Wynwood Art District, Messi's face can be seen in countless murals. Beckham personally put a lick of paint on one of them. The Englishman is finding it difficult to contain his excitement about Messi's arrival.
The new MLS standard-bearer is already eagerly featured in TV commercials for American beer brands and restaurant chains – in Hard Rock Cafe branches, visitors can order a chicken sandwich bearing Messi's name. Messi's roles in commercials are without lines, because although he understands English, he barely speaks it. In multicultural Miami, that wouldn't bother him. Official name of new employer: Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami.
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