David Beckham spoke about the signing of Lionel Messi by Inter Miami, a team of which he is co-owner. The Englishman told how he became aware of the Argentine star's announcement and what the arrival of a figure of this magnitude means for his team.
"A couple of weeks ago I woke up to a million messages on my phone. I thought, 'What's wrong? I don't usually get that many messages.' Suddenly I heard that Leo had announced that he was coming to Miami. It obviously wasn't a surprise to me. "Beckham declared.
This is the first time that the Englishman has spoken publicly about the signing of Messi. He did so at a leadership talk at St Johns Wood United Synagogue in north London, The Athletic reported.
He also referred to the magnitude of the signing. "From the beginning I have always said that if I had the opportunity to bring the best players to Miami, at any point in their careers, I would do it. I have always had that commitment to our fans."
"So when I hear that one of the best players, if not the best, who has won everything in football, who is still a great player, still young and still doing what he does, wants to play for my team, it's an incredible moment. for us", concluded Beckham.
In the talk they also asked him, in a joking tone, about the reason why he took Messi to Inter Miami and not to Salford City, the other team he owns, located in Manchester and that plays in the fourth division of football. English.
"Yes, I co-own Salford City and it's a great place, but obviously Argentina is closer to Miami than Salford. I think that was a big draw for Leo," the Manchester United legend joked.
Beckham was a key player in Messi's transfer to Inter Miami. Two months before the announcement, the Englishman visited the PSG training camp, the team with which he retired in 2013.
Jorge Mas himself, Inter Miami's top shareholder, recently told El País about Beckham's role in getting Messi to land in MLS. "David Beckham talked with Leo, only about football issues, because he was playing. He didn't want him to feel pressured," said the American businessman.
Mas also compared Messi's arrival in soccer in the United States with that of his partner Beckham. "There are two events here: Pelé's arrival at the New York Cosmos [in 1975] and David Beckham's in 2007 in Los Angeles. Messi will elevate the league to another level. I think he comes wanting to leave his mark, and he will be able to do it beyond football".
At the moment, the official announcement of Inter Miami is still waiting, although it is no longer a secret. It is expected that in the coming days the Florida club will present Messi in style, in a historic arrival for the team and for the North American league.
