"Messi's gonna win games" - Former USMNT coach praises David Beckham for convincing Lionel Messi to join Inter Miami
Former USMNT manager Bruce Arena has praised David Beckham for his role in persuading Lionel Messi to join Inter Miami.
Messi has become the biggest signing in MLS history as he has agreed to join the Herons this summer. The Argentine icon will arrive at DRV PNK Stadium when his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires later this month.
Arena has lauded Inter Miami owner Beckham for how he has managed to pull off Messi's signing. He spoke glowingly about the MLS side's long pursuit of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, saying (via GOAL):
“What's special is that Beckham was able to attract Messi to his club. They worked on him for a couple of years. Messi’s a good story. Why would you think otherwise."
Lionel Messi joins an Inter Miami side that currently sitting bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference. Arena thinks the Herons will be more than fine now that they have sealed the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's signature:
"They're gonna be fine. Messi's gonna win games. He's gonna have a tremendous impact for that team, for that city and the league. And that has to be good.”
The 35-year-old was also wanted by former club Barcelona and Saudi giants Al Hilal before opting to join David Beckham's MLS franchise. The latter has always wanted to put together a team at DRV PNK Stadium brimming with world-class talent. He stated in 2014 (via Manchester Evening News):
“We will want to bring some of the best players in football to Miami. I’ve seen what it means when you bring great players into a team."
Lionel Messi's arrival may be the catalyst for household names to arrive in the MLS. He follows in the footsteps of Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic who all played in the MLS during their legendary careers.
Inter Miami have not only signed a World Cup winner and the record-holder of the Ballon d'Or but a player still turning back the years. He bagged 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games for PSG this season, leaving the Parc des Princes a two-time Ligue 1 champion.
Inter Miami owner David Beckham met with Lionel Messi when visiting PSG earlier this year
David Beckham made a trip to Paris to visit his former club PSG in April. The legendary former England captain posed for snaps with several players including Lionel Messi in the midst of his chase for the Argentine.
The Inter Miami owner even posted a picture of himself with Messi and his teammate Marco Verratti on his Instagram account. He captioned it:
"Ici C’est Paris 🔵⚪️🔴 Great to see some old friends at (PSG), (Messi), (Marco Verratti), (Kylian Mbappe), (Sergio Ramos)."
The Englishman may well have held talks with Messi during the visit as he looked to seal his capture. The pair never played together but the Argentine is now set to join his MLS outfit as they look to become the biggest club in the United States.