FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.(AP/WSVN) — Lionel Messi’s debut gameday with Inter Miami has arrived.
Messi is expected to play Friday night when Inter Miami takes on Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup match at his new home stadium. Team officials say all tickets — about 21,000, in a newly expanded stadium — have been sold, though thousands were available for resale on secondary markets Friday morning.
It’s unclear how much Messi, a World Cup champion for Argentina and someone who Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham calls the best player ever, will be on the field in his debut. He signed a 2-1/2 year contract with Inter Miami this past weekend, and the deal will pay him between $50 million and $60 million annually. That will almost certainly work out to more than $1 million per match.
He was introduced to his new home fans on Sunday and officially trained for the first time as a member of the club Tuesday.
Messi made the decision in June to join Inter Miami and come to Major League Soccer. He considered a return to Barcelona, the club with whom he spent almost the entirety of his career, after spending the last two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain.
But Inter Miami and MLS found a way to land the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in Messi, setting the stage for an unprecedented era for the club that has largely sputtered during its first four seasons.
Leagues Cup is a tournament between clubs from MLS and Liga MX, the top Mexican league. Cruz Azul won the inaugural version of this event in 2019.
Neither club has enjoyed much success this season. Inter Miami has the fewest points in the MLS standings; Cruz Azul is the only team in the Mexican league yet to record a standings point through the season’s first three matches.
As Messi makes his Inter Miami debut, people who don’t even have tickets to the game showed up to be a part of it.
“We didn’t get tickets because it was sold out,” said a fan. “We came for vacation, only we live in Argentina. You don’t have tickets but you’re here anyway.”
And for those who have tickets, they arrived hours before game time, not wanting to miss a second of the Messi magic.
“My dad got them after Messi joined the team,” said a fan. “Big bucks. I didn’t ask him but I’m assuming, yeah.”
This is the first time she will attend a soccer game and her father went all out to get tickets.
Messi joined the last place team in Major League Soccer. He also instantly made it the toughest ticket to get.
Cars were seen lining up before the gates even open as people stopped by to take pictures.
For some that don’t even watch soccer, they just want a chance to be near the player many say is the greatest of all time.
“I don’t watch much soccer, but I kind of keep up with Messi,” said a fan. “Yeah, it’s Messi. I named my dog after him.”
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