As the 2023 MLS season draws to a close for Inter Miami, the season was marked by the arrival of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. Messi led the club to its first-ever Leagues Cup triumph. With Miami and Messi set to take a break until early 2024, co-owner David Beckham once again spoke about the impact the ‘Number 10’ has had on Major League Soccer over the past few months.
In an exclusive interview with AFP, the former England international and club-mate of LA Galaxy and Real Madrid and AC Milan and PSG, as well as Manchester United, said that Messi’s presence has completely changed the way MLS is perceived. He also explained why Inter Miami made the decision to sign Messi in the first place, with the goal of promoting football at every level in the US.
Lionel Messi changes the game: Beckham
“It’s still hard to believe that when someone turns around to me and says Inter Miami have Lionel Messi in their team, you know,” Beckham said. “It’s a very proud thing for me to have as an owner, to have a player like that, the best player in the world, in our team.
“We always knew that bringing Leo to America, not just to Miami, it was our gift to America and MLS. Because someone like that changes the game. You know, someone like that inspires another generation of soccer players. And that’s why we wanted to bring Leo to the team.
“Of course, we want to win championships. Of course, we want to be the best team in the league. But one of the reasons why we bought him was to also inspire the next generation of soccer players in America. To want to be soccer players. So bringing him does that and it’s an important thing for us.”
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In total, Messi played 15 matches for Inter Miami in his first full season. He won his first title with the club in the form of Leagues Cup. He scored 11 goals and provided 4 assists.
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