Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, David Beckham, has revealed why he was emotional about Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami.
Beckham was the first star to join MLS in the prime of his career after spending most of it playing top-tier soccer in Europe. Now a co-owner of Inter Miami, Beckham addressed the gravity of this moment, which was a decade in the making.
“Ten years ago, I started my journey to build a new MLS team,” Beckham said. “I said then, I dreamt of bringing the best players in the world to South Florida and to the great city to Miami. Players who shared our ambition to grow soccer in this country … We are so happy that you are all here to celebrate this incredible moment.
“So please forgive me for feeling a little bit emotional tonight. It truly is a dream come true to welcome Lionel Messi to Inter Miami … Bienvenido a La Familia.”
A two-hour weather delay stalled the event, with heavy rain pelting the stadium grounds and lightning illuminating the sky.
But no one was going to miss this. And the fans were treated to a double feature, as Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets also was introduced as an Inter Miami player after signing his deal to join the club on Sunday.