Lionel Messi’s two-year spell in Paris left him longing for a place that felt like home. Although he won two league trophies there, he admits he never fully settled in France. By the time his contract wound down in 2023, Messi had contemplated a return to Barcelona, but the timing and circumstances didn’t align. So he made the unexpected leap to Inter Miami, a decision that has brought him into close contact with the club’s president and co-owner, David Beckham.
They first floated the idea of an MLS move when a Miami-based group, led by Beckham, met with Jorge Messi (Lionel’s father) in 2019. Once Messi decided to leave Europe, Beckham’s pitch and vision for an emerging club in a new environment sealed the deal. Today, the Argentine legend is both Inter Miami’s star and an ambassador for a league still carving its global reputation.
A growing bond between Messi and Becks in Miami
Messi acknowledges Beckham’s warm presence around the squad, though the ex-England captain mostly keeps a low public profile. As Messi put it in an interview with Simplemente Futbol, “The truth is, he’s impressive. He’s a spectacular person, and nothing else. Although he rarely appears when he’s here, he comes here some days, but we’ve also had a relationship outside of the club, or we’ve shared time when he’s in Miami. He’s a very down-to-earth, humble, approachable person, and the truth is, he’s a wonderful person.”
It’s easy to see how Beckham, who invested about $25 million to secure his MLS expansion rights, might still crave the buzz of the field. There are whispers that he occasionally joins training just to stay connected to the game that once made him an international icon.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami’s managing owner Jorge Mas has suggested Messi could be staying longer than his initial contract. “My expectation is that we will see the team’s captain and No. 10, Lionel Messi, in the new stadium,” Mas said. “It’s a decision. We are talking with him about his future at the club. All the stars are aligning for really great things, a beautiful future for the club and for Lionel. It’s up to him, but I anticipate we will determine this in the next 60 or 90 days because it’s important to start planning ahead.”
Even with a World Cup trophy on his résumé, Messi remains fueled by new possibilities and fresh ambitions. His time in Miami feels like a chance to explore soccer in a different way, to influence a growing league, and to build deeper connections off the pitch. Beckham’s role in this story is clear: friend, collaborator, and the man who helped bring one of the greatest players ever to an unlikely corner of American soccer.
