There were talks for weeks and weeks after professional soccer player Lionel Messi said he would not be returning to Paris Saint-German. The sports media was in a frenzy as fans began anticipating Messi’s new home. The masses made the assumption that he would return to his first club, F.C. Barcelona, and everyone hoped the rumors were true–especially if you were a Barcelona fan.
Then a big-time offer was made from a club in Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, and the contract was to be for two years and 1.2 billion euros. At the end of all of these high offers and emotions, Messi ended up signing with Inter Miami for two years and $150 million dollars and has joined Major League Soccer in the United States.
Many people were shocked when the news finally dropped and fans were beyond excited to see how Messi’s talent would improve the last-placed team in the MLS. When the news came out that Inter Miami acquired him to the squad, ticket prices for the team skyrocketed. Last year’s Miami fan attendance averaged about 12,000 spectators per game, and when Messi joined, attendance rose up to the capacity of 21,000. Everyone was waiting for him to make his debut with the new team and he finally did. On August 26, in the 60th minute, Messi debuted for Inter Miami and the long wait was finally over, as he scored a goal in the 89′ minute to give the team a 2-0 win.
When Messi made his arrival at Inter Miami, it was the start of the MLS Leagues Cup, so it was great timing for the organization. He brought Inter Miami to the finals of the Leagues Cup which they won against Nashville on penalties 10-9. Messi came to his new club and new league and won a major tournament trophy in less than a month on the job. I interviewed different BCCHS students about how they felt about the whole situation. The first student, Julian Garcia (9), replied, “I love the idea he came to the U.S. to play and I hope to get the opportunity to watch him play.” Another student, Alan Martinez (11), was asked when Messi would be the top-leading scorer for Inter Miami, and he answered, “I believe he will surpass everyone the way he’s scoring and become the top-leading scorer for Inter Miami.”
The signing of Messi wasn’t only beneficial to Messi, but also to Inter Miami, because his production was worth the payment and he increased attendance as each game was sold out. He’s going to dominate the league in the near future if he stays on track with his 11 goals in 12 matches. He has brought more fans, money, and excitement to U.S. soccer with this move. I hope one day I get to watch one of the greatest to ever play the sport because it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Let’s see what happens over the next two years at Inter Miami and see what Messi could accomplish over time.
