Prior to finalizing his transfer to US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi landed in Florida on Tuesday.
Messi and family members were seen in Argentine television video exiting a private plane at a small, executive airport close to Inter Miami’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
LIONEL MESSI HAS ARRIVED IN SOUTH FLORIDA TO MAKE HIS INTER MIAMI MOVE OFFICIAL ☀️
(via @SC_ESPN) pic.twitter.com/lgpKN3XeGN
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 11, 2023
The World Cup winner is expected to sign a two-and-a-half year contract for $60m per year before being presented to supporters at a stadium event on Sunday.
“We are happy with the decision we made. Prepared and eager to face the new challenge, the new change,” Messi said in an interview with Argentine TV show, Llave a la eternidad, released on Tuesday.
“My mentality and my head are not going to change and I am going to try, wherever I have to be, to give my best for myself and my new club and continue to perform at the highest level,” he added.
Messi is the biggest name to ever move to MLS and the greatest player to head to the United States since Brazilian great Pele signed for the New York Cosmos in 1975.
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MLS hope that Messi will massively increase the profile of the league and boost subscriptions to their streaming broadcast deal with Apple TV. Ticket prices for games likely to involve Messi have already sky-rocketed.
Fans had begun to gather at the club’s DRV PNK stadium early in the morning ahead of his expected arrival.
Messi fans are already flocking to the stadium to see the No. 10 🇦🇷🌴 pic.twitter.com/iLhrKKCHwc
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 11, 2023
He is expected to be joined at the club by former Barcelona team-mate Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets.
Meanwhile, ex-Argentina and Barcelona coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino recently took over as coach.
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