"Different this time" - Serena Williams' husband believes Lionel Messi's USA stint will be more successful than David Beckham's and Pele's
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian has predicted that Lionel Messi will enjoy more success in the United States of America than England's David Beckham and Brazilian great Pele.
Messi recently joined Beckham's Inter Miami CF, after his contract with Paris Saint Germain expired. The Argentine took fans by storm as he scored a signature freekick goal on his debut appearance for the Miami side on July 21. The match was attended by the likes of Serena Williams, her husband Alexis Ohanian, and Lebron James.
On Tuesday, Messi added more glory to his arrival in Florida by scoring a brace in Miami's 4-0 victory over Atlanta United FC. Joe Pompliano, an entrepreneur, shared the clip of the Argentine's first goal of the day and Ohanian was quick to add his remarks on Messi's prospects in the States.
"This clip exemplifies why it'll be different this time (vs Beckham or Pele in USA) yes he's more in his prime, but culture is forged ONLINE now and this clip goes viral immediately instead of being a footnote on ESPN the next morning," Ohanian tweeted.
This clip exemplifies why it'll be different this time (vs Beckham or Pele in USA) yes he's more in his prime, but culture is forged ONLINE now and this clip goes viral immediately instead of being a footnote on ESPN the next morning twitter.com/joepompliano/s…
Ohanian is the co-founder of Reddit and an investor in Angel City FC -- a club that competes in the National Women's Soccer League.
Before buying Inter Miami's ownership stake in 2021, David Beckham played as a midfielder for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. The Englishman scored 20 goals and provided 42 assists in 124 appearances for the side.
Brazilian legend Pele, on the other hand, was a part of the North American Soccer League and represented New York Cosmos from 1975-77. Pele played a total of 64 games and scored 37 goals. His contribution on the field may appear less significant, but his presence bettered soccer's popularity in the country.
The icon pulled a larger number of crowds to the stadium and also helped the Cosmos break out and transform into a dominant side in the league instead of being just another participant.
Serena Williams co-producing a documentary on women's soccer
Serena Williams is producing a documentary film titled 'Copa 71.' The soccer film is based on the 1971 Women's World Cup event.
Serena is serving as the executive producer of the project alongside her sister, Venus Williams. Serena recently expressed her excitement about the film, saying:
"Copa 71 tells the story of one of the most inspirational and significant moments in women's sports history. It's an honor to partner with my sisters and Westbrook Studios to help bring this magical story to light."
The COPA 71 documentary is reportedly using recently discovered archival recordings of the 1971 Women's World Cup. That tournament saw teams from across the globe assemble at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and contend for the title with more than 100,000 people watching.