Lionel Messi officially joins Inter Miami, set to don jersey No. 10 again

By India Today Sports Desk: Argentina captain and one of the greatest footballers of all time – Lionel Messi – has officially signed for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. The club announced the news via their social media and official statement on Saturday, 15 July.

After declaring his intention to join Inter Miami a little over five weeks ago, Messi’s contract was made official on 15 July. The team will introduce him to fans on Sunday night at their stadium in Fort Lauderdale, with the possibility of his first home match during the Messi era being as early as Friday in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul.

A formal news conference is scheduled for Monday, 17 July reported news agency AP, followed by Messi’s first training session with the club expected on Tuesday. Inter Miami had previously announced that Messi’s contract will span 2 1/2 seasons and will earn him an annual salary ranging between $50 million and $60 million, resulting in a total contract value of $125 million to $150 million in cash alone.

“BIENVENIDO 10,” the team joyful posted on Instagram.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber expressed his excitement via an official release.

“We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and his decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our League and our sport in North America. We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a League of Choice for the best players in the game,” AP reported.

Messi, still arguably the biggest star in football, is joining a team that currently sits at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference standings. Inter Miami, in only its fourth season, has never won a championship and plays in a temporary home stadium that, once certain expedited renovations are completed, will accommodate only around 22,000 spectators.

Messi arrived in South Florida on Tuesday after a vacation and began the necessary physical examinations and paperwork on Wednesday, leading to the finalisation of the deal on Saturday afternoon. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, an accolade awarded annually to the world’s best player, made the move to Miami following a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” Messi stated in a club-distributed statement.

“This is a fantastic opportunity, and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home,” Messi further added.