LIONEL MESSI has joined Inter Miami FC following the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
The US club, part owned by David Beckham, confirmed they had landed the football legend in a video posted to Twitter in June 2023.
When does Lionel Messi debut for Inter Miami?
Messi’s Inter Miami debut is scheduled for Friday, July 21, during the opening match of the Leagues Cup.
Ahead of the Major League Soccer (MLS) match it was reported that some fans had paid more than $1,200 (£933) for a ticket.
The player is getting $60million (£47m) a year to play for Inter Miami after rejecting an even more lucrative offer to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Who plays for Inter Miami?
Leonardo Campana
Campana is the son of former tennis player Pedro Campana, who represented Ecuador in the 1966 Olympics.
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He signed for the Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, before being loaned to Famalicão and Swiss Super League side Grasshopper.
Campana joined Inter Miami on loan in January 2022 and then signed permanently with the team in 2023.
Josef Martinez
Martinez, from Venezuela, began his career in Caracas FC.
He was then sold to Italian club Torino in 2014.
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Martinez joined Inter Miami in January 2023 from Atlanta United, replacing the retired Gonzalo Higuain.
As of 2023, Martinez is the 10th all-time MLS goalscorer.
Nicolas Stefanelli
Stefanelli grew up in Argentina but also holds an Italian passport.
He has played in Cyprus, Chile and Sweden since beginning his career in his homeland.
Stefanelli joined Inter Miami in January 2023.
Shanyder Borgelin
Striker Borgelin is from Haiti and was born in Florida.
He made his debut for Inter Miami in February 2023 and scored his first MLS goal against Montreal.
Robbie Robinson
Robinson, who played college football at Clemson University in South Carolina, was named as the top pick in the 2020 MLS draft.
He then made his debut for the team in March 2020.
Dixon Arroyo
Arroyo joined Inter Miami in 2023 as a replacement for the injured Brazilian player Gregore.
He represents Ecuador internationally.
Benjamin Cremaschi
Cremaschi is the son of international rugby union player Pablo Cremaschi, who played for Argentina.
He made his debut with Inter Miami in February 2023.
David Ruiz
Ruiz became a member of Inter Miami’s senior squad in April 2023.
He represented Honduras in the 2023 Under-20 World Cup, but is also eligible to play for the US.
Robert Taylor
Taylor is the son of Paul Taylor, a footballer who played in Finland in the 1990s.
Robert was a player for Nottingham Forest and Lincoln City when he was younger.
In 2020 he penned a three-year deal with Norwegian team Brann, but moved to Inter Miami in February 2022.
Lawson Sunderland
Sunderland made his debut for Inter Miami in 2023 after joining the club in 2022.
His brother, Beckham Sunderland, is also a footballer and his father, Larry Sunderland, is the director of player development at FC Cincinnati.
Edison Azcona
In 2021, Dominican player Azcona made his MLS debut.
The match, against Nashville SC, marked the first time anInter Miami homegrown player had appeared in an MLS match.
Azcona was loaned to El Paso Locomotive in 2022.
Victor Ulloa
Ulloa is a defensive midfielder for Inter Miami.
The sportsman, who is eligible to play for Mexico and the United States, has also played for Dallas and Cincinnati in the past.
Drake Callender
Goalkeeper Callender joined Inter Miami in 2020.
He is from Sacramento, California.
Sergii Kryvtsov
Ukrainian centre-back Kryvtsov joined Inter Miami in January 2023.
He previously played for Shakhtar Donetsk in his homeland, before fleeing Ukraine due to the war.
DeAndre Yedlin
Seattle-born Yedlin has played for several Premier League teams in the UK, including Newcastle, Tottenham and Sunderland.
He briefly joined the Turkish side Galatasaray in 2021 before moving back to the US and joining Inter Miami in February 2022.
Christopher McVey
Before joining Inter Miami in 2022, McVey had spent his career with Elfsborg in his homeland of Sweden.
The player, who is a right back, joined the youth side when he was just 12 and later played for the A-team.
He signed with Inter Miami in January 2022.
Kamal Miller
Miller joined Inter Miami in April 2023 – shortly before Messi’s signing was announced.
He had previously played for two other MLS teams – Montreal and Orlando City.
Harvey Neville
Neville is the son of football manager and former player Phil Neville.
He began his career in the youth squads of Manchester United and Valencia and has also has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-19 level.
He qualifies to play for Republic of Ireland through his maternal grandmother.
Ian Fray
Fray plays as a defender for Inter Miami.
He joined the club in February 2021 but suffered a torn ACL just one month later.
Fray’s sister, Marlee Fray, is also a footballer and represents Jamaica internationally.
Noah Allen
Allen is a US Under-20s international from Florida.
He made his Inter Miami CF debut in February 2022 and signed a homegrown player contract a month later.
Ryan Sailor
Defender Sailor signed with Inter Miami in February 2022 and made his debut in May of that year.
He used to play college football for the University of Washington Huskies and was selected 9th overall in the 2022 MLS super draft.
Israel Boatwright
Right-back Boatwright is from the Dominican Republic.
He made his debut for Inter Miami CF II in 2022 and has represented the Dominican Republic at both youth and senior levels.
What has David Beckham said about Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami?
Inter Miami co-owner Beckham described Messi’s arrival at the team as a “dream come true”.
“Leo, we are so proud that you have chosen our club for the next stage in your career,” he said at the time of the player’s signing.
Beckham said in a later statement: “Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamed of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city.
“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.
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“Today, that dream came true. I couldn’t be prouder that a player of Leo’s caliber 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.”
He added: “The next phase of our adventure starts here, and I can’t wait to see Leo take to the pitch.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
