Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has signed a contract until 2025 with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer team announced on Saturday.
The 36-year-old striker who sparked Argentina to a World Cup title last year in Qatar, is set to be unveiled by the team in a Sunday ceremony and expected to join Inter Miami on the pitch as early as Friday.
"I`m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States," Messi, who moves from Paris Saint-Germain, said in a statement.
The seven-time Ballon d`Or winner is expected to spark greater interest in the sport and MLS across the United States and revive the fortunes of a Miami squad at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference at 5-13 with three drawn.
"This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project," Messi said. "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`s debut is expected on Friday when Inter Miami will host Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a revamped competition between MLS and Mexican league squads.
It`s the biggest boost for the North American League since English star David Beckham, now a co-owner of Inter Miami, joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. He launched the MLS squad in 2020 after years of trying to find a stadium site.
"Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city, players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much," Beckham said in a statement.
"Today that dream came true.
"I couldn`t be prouder that a player of Leo`s caliber is joining our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community.
"The next phase of our adventure starts here and I can`t wait to see Leo take to the pitch."
