 Lionel Messi has now been officially confirmed as an Inter Miami player. The MLS side formally announced the arrival of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner on Saturday with a lavish ceremony dubbed 'The Unveil' to introduce him to supporters taking place on Sunday. Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup success last December, left Paris Saint-Germain in June after two years with the French giants. The 36-year-old at one stage looked close to sealing a return to Barcelona, the club he left in 2021 after coming through their academy and scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances. Messi opted for a new challenge State-side, however, signing a two-and-a-half year deal. 'I'm very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,' said Messi 'This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. Messi led Argentina to the World Cup in December (Picture: Getty) '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.' Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham is among those who has been laying the groundwork for Messi's arrival for a number of years, hailing his arrival as the start 'of the next phase our adventure'. 'Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city,' said Beckham. '[I wanted] players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation 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 am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community. 'The next phase of our adventure starts here, and I can't wait to see Leo take){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Lionel Messi has now been officially confirmed as an Inter Miami player.
The MLS side formally announced the arrival of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner on Saturday with a lavish ceremony dubbed ‘The Unveil’ to introduce him to supporters taking place on Sunday.
Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup success last December, left Paris Saint-Germain in June after two years with the French giants.
The 36-year-old at one stage looked close to sealing a return to Barcelona, the club he left in 2021 after coming through their academy and scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances.