It was 8:56 p.m. m. Spanish time when a tweet from a mysterious Jorge Mas appeared with a photo of a pink shirt, the 10 on the back and the most popular last name of the day: Messi.
This tweet caused the explosion of social networks around the planet because it officially confirmed the signing of the Argentine star by Inter Miami of the MLS.
There was no more direct source. Jorge Mas is one of the owners of the American team (and also of Real Zaragoza) and he was personally in charge of announcing one of his dreams, that of having Lionel Messi in Miami.
This businessman, of American nationality and of Cuban descent, shares the shares of Inter Miami along with his brother Jose Mas and David Beckham, the team's most famous face.
In 2021, the Mas and Beckham brothers completed the purchase of the shares from two other partners and thus took over the entire team.
In addition, the hand of Mas brought a Catalan presence to the executive part of the team. Xavier Asensi, with a past at FC Barcelona, has been Inter Miami's Business Director since April 2021.
But Jorge Mas is not only part of the owners, he is also the CEO and he is the one who manages the North American squad behind the spotlight. That is why he was key in the signing of Leo Messi.
The news that the Argentine considered Miami as one of his options is not new, it has been several years since Messi's move to Florida has been heard.
And Jorge Mas knew this, so he was entrusted with the mission of convincing 10 to sign for his team. A task that, with Messi's refusal to Barça, he fulfilled.
Mas is a soccer man and Inter Miami is not his only bastion in the sport. In March 2022, he acquired the majority of the shares of Real Zaragoza, a team of which he is also president.
After inheriting his father's businesses, Mas forged a business empire in the southeastern United States that allowed him to bring soccer back to his hometown.
Already in 2019, he was clear about his objectives, when in an interview he said that he wanted to turn Miami into "the gateway for soccer, not only in South Florida but in the Americas."
Before 2020, when Inter Miami joined MLS, the city had not been in the league for almost 20 years, after the failure of the Miami Fusion that lasted only three seasons (1998-2001).
In 2022 another achievement was added when FIFA announced Miami as the host city of the 2026 World Cup. Behind that announcement the businessman also worked to achieve it.
And now, four years after his foray into soccer, Mas is fulfilling his biggest dream. Lionel Messi will play in pink in South Florida.
