After the end of his adventure at PSG, the 35-year-old Argentine world champion finally opted for MLS in the United States. In Florida, he is eagerly awaited.
It will finally be Miami after Paris. And Major League Soccer fans are already thrilled. Andy Loretta is part of “Siege”, one of the fan clubs of Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, better known as Inter Miami, which now sees its colors worn by Lionel Messi.
>> Football: Lionel Messi announces that he has chosen Inter Miami to continue his career
Tuesday, June 7, the playmaker revealed to the Spanish press his decision to go across the Atlantic: “I’ve decided that I’m going to Miami, I don’t have (a deal) 100% done or maybe there’s still things to do, but we’ve decided to continue our journey there ( …) It’s time to go to MLS to experience football in a different way“.
And Andy relishes: he could not have dreamed of better than the arrival of the Argentinian, holder of seven Ballons d’Or, who left PSG, where he was not “not happy“.”Everyone you ask here in Miami is very excited for Leo to come. He is arguably the most popular footballer on the planet today. It is enormous !“, he rejoices.
The sporting challenges of Messi the American
The arrival of the 2022 world champion will necessarily benefit the franchise born in 2018, which belongs to David Beckham and the American billionaires Jorge and Jose Mas, but also to the entire American football championship, according to this supporter. “I think that’s also what the club thinks: there is a young core of players that they hope Messi will help them raise their level of play and start producing more positive results. We’re all thrilled in Miami, that’s for sure.”
“It’s going to attract a lot more people, whether it’s on TV or in the stadiums. And then, from a footballing point of view, even if he’s maybe a little bit slower than before, he still has his quality, his talent…”
Andy Loretta, Inter Miami supporterat franceinfo
To complete the transfer, the East Coast franchise – MLS’s current last in the Eastern Conference – benefited from the income generated by the 10-year agreement concluded for 2.5 billion dollars in the spring between MLS and Apple, which offers on its Apple TV + service a subscription to follow the American championship. Still, Lionel Messi’s challenge is sportingly great: because, even at 35, the player will have to raise the level of the North American championship, still far from that of the European championships. And thus constitute an extraordinary advertising in soccer, before the 2026 Football World Cup, co-organized by the United States with Canada and Mexico.