Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami has been a historic one. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has pushed Major League Soccer’s (MLS) popularity to unimaginable levels, making it an unmissable competition for many.
Of course, bringing a player of Messi’s caliber was not a walk in the park for Inter Miami. It took years of planning and David Beckham’s unparalleled charm to turn the dream move into reality.
David Beckham Recalls How He Got A Meeting With Lionel Messi’s Dad
Messi Sr., Jorge, serves as the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s agent. So, to get to the 36-year-old, one must first win over his father. Beckham understood the dynamic and went to great lengths to meet with Jorge, admittedly sneaking into his Barcelona hotel to present his case.
Speaking on the ‘Just Stick to Football’ podcast, Beckham recounted his first meeting with Messi Sr. He said (via The Mirror):
“I suppose as an owner of a team, you always want to bring in the best players, but the chance of bringing in the best is difficult and always challenging.
“But then, I sneaked into Messi’s dad’s hotel about four years ago in Barcelona for a meeting with him and obviously, at that point, we weren’t ready to bring him in and he wasn’t ready to come. I turned around to his dad and said, ‘we want your son, we want him to come to Miami when he’s ready, and if that’s a possibility’.”
Beckham Reveals Inter Miami Worked On Messi Deal For Four Years
Toward the end of Messi’s spell at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Beckham and Co. supposedly sensed an opening and embraced the opportunity when it finally presented itself. It took rigorous planning to complete Messi’s switch to Miami, with Beckham revealing that the Herons worked on the deal for about four years.
The Manchester United legend added:
“We continued the conversations, and with my partners, Jorge Mas and Jose [Mas], we just worked on it for about four years.
“When he was at PSG [Paris Saint-Germain], we saw an opportunity and he was either going to go back to Barcelona [or to Miami], but then suddenly, everything aligned, and we were still having the conversations.”
Messi, who is currently recovering from a leg injury, has been in sensational form in the United States. The former PSG superstar has played 12 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 11 times and claiming five assists.
