1 year ago
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Lionel Messi (centre) is Barcelona's grounds scorer with 672 goals and won 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions Leagues and 7 Spanish CupsNew signing Lionel Messi has been officially presented to cheering crowds astatine Inter Miami's DRV PNK Stadium.
A sold-out assemblage of astir 20,000 waited done downpours and lightning to spot the seven-time Ballon d'Or victor fixed a fig 10 shirt.
In a little code successful Spanish, Messi, 36, thanked supporters and said helium had the "same desire" helium ever has.
The World Cup-winning Argentina guardant joins the Major League Soccer (MLS) nine connected a woody until the extremity of 2025.
He volition beryllium reunited with antiaircraft midfielder Sergio Busquets - with whom helium played astatine Barcelona - who has besides signed for Miami until 2025.
Busquets, too, was formally unveiled during Sunday night's event.
Messi entered the transportation via a immense catwalk and was introduced arsenic "America's fig 10, the world's champion fig 10".
Seven-time Super Bowl victor Tom Brady and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry besides welcomed him to the United States successful video messages.
"I truly privation to commencement training, to compete," Messi said. "I person the aforesaid tendency that I ever had to compete, to privation to win, to assistance the nine proceed to grow.
"I americium precise blessed to person chosen to travel to play successful this metropolis with my family, to take this task and I person nary uncertainty that we are going to bask it a lot.
"We are going to person a bully clip and precise bully things are going to happen."
Messi near French champions Paris St-Germain astatine the extremity of the 2022-23 play aft scoring 32 goals successful 75 games.
He turned down lucrative offers from different countries to play successful the US - and this is the archetypal clip helium volition play for a non-European club.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham hailed Messi's signing arsenic a "dream travel true".
"Leo, we are truthful arrogant that you person chosen our nine for the adjacent signifier successful your career," helium said.
Inter Miami's superior owner, American billionaire Jorge Mas, called Messi "the champion subordinate ever to don boots,"
Messi is expected to beryllium disposable to play for Miami against LIGA MX broadside Cruz Azul connected 21 July successful their opening lucifer of Leagues Cup.
He reunites with his erstwhile Barca and Argentina brag Gerardo Martino aft the 60-year-old was appointed manager successful June pursuing the sacking of Phil Neville.
Fans had to ticker Lionel Messi's unveiling successful dense rainfall successful Miami
Fireworks were fto disconnected astir the stadium erstwhile Messi was fixed the Inter Miami fig 10 shirt
Inter Miami fans who could not get a summons to the event, which was dubbed "The Unveil", waited for Messi aft the amusement to effort and drawback a glimpse of the Argentina legend
English (US)