After Argentine star Lionel Messi sealed his fate and announced his move to Inter Miami, the attention of football fans around the world turned to the American club, which will be the third destination in the "flea" professional career after Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi chose Inter Miami despite the huge Saudi offer from Saudi club Al Hilal, which exceeded one billion euros in two seasons, and despite Barcelona's efforts to bring it back.
pic.twitter.com/pgu2mE7zlY
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 7, 2023
Marca believes that the decision was not easy for the Argentine star, as he and his family wanted to return to Barcelona, but the financial and administrative conditions of the Catalan club prevented this.
She pointed out that the choice of Messi may seem logical to move to Miami, owned by retired English star David Beckham, to compete in the NBA, which has grown and developed in recent years, according to what says "Marca".
Inter Miami, founded in 2018, are struggling in the MLS this season, sitting in the bottom 15 in the Eastern Division of the tournament known as MLS.
The team has 15 points after 16 games, having won only 5 meetings and suffered 11 defeats, scoring only 15 goals, while conceding 21 goals.
Inter Miami are 6 points behind ninth, the last place that gives them the chance to qualify for the knockout rounds.
The team sacked coach Phil Neville last week after disastrous results that contrasted with last season's results when he finished sixth and advanced to the knockout stages that determine the winner of the title. According to US reports, the club is close to appointing Argentine Gerardo Martino to lead the team for the rest of the season.
Inter Miami in MLS this season:
– 16 matches
– 5 wins
– 11 defeats– 15 goals scored
– 21 goals conceded
– Bottom of the standings
in their conference pic.twitter.com/9ildBAK6Da
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) June 7, 2023
Martino previously worked with Messi when he took over as Barcelona coach in the 2013-2014 season, and also oversaw his coaching at Argentina between 2014 and 2016.
And reviewed "Marca" Messi's new teammates in the Inter Miami attack line, and they are:
Joseph Martinez
The Colombian striker has been playing for Inter Miami since January 2023, arriving from Atalanta United.
Martinez, 30, made 17 appearances for Inter Miami, scoring just 3 goals, and providing a lone assist.
Martinez is the fastest player to score 100 goals in NBA history, having done so with his former team in 125 games.
Nicholas Stefanelli
The Argentine arrived at Inter Miami in conjunction with teammate Martinez from Swedish side AEK Solna, and has a modest experience with several clubs in Argentina and Chile and a single club in Cyprus, Anorthosis Famagusta.
Stefanelli won the Swedish league title with AEK Solna in the 2017-2018 season, and since joining Inter Miami he has scored just two goals in 18 games.
Leonardo Campana
On the final day of the recent winter transfer market, Inter Miami signed the 22-year-old Campana from Wolves permanently.
Campana scored 15 goals, as well as two assists in 39 appearances for his American team.
Corentin Jean
Jean, 27, moved to Inter Miami in the summer of 2022 from Lance, and his professional experience with the American team is his first outside France, Jean played 18 games for Inter and scored one goal with two assists.
Robbie Robinson
Robinson knows the NBA atmosphere well, having played for Inter Miami since the launch of the tournament's rename in 2020.
Since then, he has played 46 games, scoring 6 goals and one assist.
Jake Lakava
Lakava has been with Inter Miami since November 2022, scoring one goal and assisting another.
Federico Pizarro
Although he plays in midfield, he will be very close to Messi on the pitch, according to Marca.
Pizarro has a wealth of experience especially at the international level, having won the Gold Cup with Mexico in 2019.
From midfield, Pizarro scored 7 goals and provided 10 assists in 56 games.
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Share in ownership
According to the Catalan newspaper "Sport", the American team's offer is up to $54 million per season, or more than a million dollars a week.
The move marks a major victory for the NBA, which has welcomed Messi, adding that there is still work to finalize the details of the formal agreement.
The league wrote on Twitter: "The greatest player of all time will come. Millions of NBA fans around the world welcome you, Leo."
A source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters this week that Messi wanted to move to a team that could take a stake in his ownership, and his contract is expected to pave the way for doing so after his retirement.
He will also receive a portion of the revenue of Apple, the television station that broadcasts league matches, and will be able to increase his sponsorship deal with Adidas.
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The NBA gets a fixed revenue of about $250 million a year from Apple until a certain threshold of subscriptions is reached to watch the competition, after which it gets a percentage of the subscription revenue.
Messi's move to the MLS is expected to lead viewers to subscribe to Apple's TV streaming platform to follow the world's most famous soccer players.
Former England captain David Beckham, who was one of the first stars to move to America and won the league title with the LA Galaxy twice, is co-owned by Inter Miami.