‘All he was interested in’ - David Beckham reveals why Lionel Messi agreed stunning MLS move to Inter Miami as Herons live the ‘dream’ with Argentine GOAT

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner became a marquee addition for the Herons and MLS when making his way to Florida in the summer of 2023. Messi decided to go chasing the American dream after severing ties with Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.

He has made a remarkable impact in the States, as he brings more eyes to an ever-growing game, and is in the process of chasing down major silverware again in 2024 – with Inter Miami still in the hunt for Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup glory.

Inter Miami co-owner Beckham said at the Stella Artois' ‘Let's Do Dinner’ event in New York, when explaining why Messi is in the United States: “All he was interested in is a place where his family could come enjoy and have a great life. That was really important for Leo. I mean, from day one, from the moment he put his foot down in Miami, it's been a dream, honestly.”

Manchester United and England legend Beckham went on to say of snapping up the all-time great: “To be able to say that we've signed the world's greatest ever player to ever play the game. Everybody's got their opinion on who they think is the best player of all time – whether it be Diego Maradona, Pele, all of these great players.

“But to say that we have in the MLS, in Miami, the greatest player to play the game, it's just like a dream, you know? It's a dream every time that I'm there. If I go for the whole of the summer, which I went for four weeks this summer, I go into training every single day because, personally, I can't believe we've got Leo. Secondly, I just want to watch what he does. And that's a special thing for us.”

Messi helped Inter Miami to a historic Leagues Cup triumph within weeks of his arrival. He has missed a number of games through injury in the current campaign, but has returned to fitness at a crucial stage of the season.