David Beckham stuns Rio Ferdinand by revealing the strict ban he enforced on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami team-mates as co-owner

Beckham has always been a trailblazer when it comes to fashion, but his decision to ban Inter Miami's players from sharing their pre-match outfits on social media has raised some eyebrows, including those of his former Manchester United teammate, Ferdinand. Taking a leaf out of his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson's handbook, Beckham has aligned himself with the Scot's no-nonsense approach to discipline on matchdays to prioritise performance.

In a conversation on Ferdinand's YouTube channel, the former defender along with Beckham reminisced about the trend of athletes, particularly in U.S. sports like basketball, flaunting their fashion choices before games. Spanish giants Barcelona also walked down the same path until Hansi Flick banned it.

During their chat, Beckham revealed that he had done something similar at Inter Miami and said: "Yeah, funnily enough, our team started doing it a couple of times and I stopped that."

His decision to enforce the ban shocked Ferdinand, who teased Beckham and said: "The man about fashion. The man who broke down all the barriers..."

Beckham cut him short and clarified: "Yeah, but we weren't winning games at that point."

Ferdinand agreed and added: "That's the key, see, that's what I'm like. That's like, if I'm my owner, I don't wanna see you on social media if we're seventh or eighth. I can't believe that Mr. Fashion said there's no fashion going on at my football club."

Despite the early struggles mentioned by Beckham, Inter Miami have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround, thanks largely to the arrival of Messi. This has been a sensational campaign for the Florida-based side with Messi tallying 17 goals and 10 assists in just 18 appearances, which has propelled them to the top of the league standings with 71 points from 33 games.

Following the international break, Messi and his Inter Miami teammates will face the New England Revolution on Saturday, October 19, in their final league game of the season. The Herons have already clinched the prestigious Supporters’ Shield after a thrilling 3-2 win over Columbus Crew on October 3 and a win in their final match will allow them to break the record for the most points in a single MLS season, surpassing New England’s 2021 record of 73 points.