“We have to protect him” - Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut may be delayed, says David Beckham
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has said that Lionel Messi's club debut could be pushed back to protect him and keep him fit. He added that the Argentine's fitness needs to be assessed as he has not trained since returning from vacation.
Inter Miami fans have been waiting to see Messi play for the MLS club since he announced his decision to join them earlier this summer. The FIFA World Cup winner was expected to play against Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup match this week.
However, Beckham has cast doubt on the reported debut and said that they needed to assess the new signing before letting him play. The co-owner added that Friday might be too early but he left the decision on the coach and said:
"We don't know if Leo is going to play the game or if he will have minutes, because I think that, after all, he needs to be ready. We have to protect him and make sure that he is ready, because he has been on vacation and has just arrived in Miami. He has trained and he looks good. I think Leo and Tata [Martino] will decide when and if he plays on Friday, but the atmosphere here will be amazing and hopefully we can get the win."
Lionel Messi's MLS debut should happen next month when they face Charlotte FC on August 20.
David Beckham reveals astronomical views for Lionel Messi unveiling
David Beckham has claimed that Inter Miami got 3.5 billion views for Lionel Messi's unveiling. He said it was historic for the club and the city as one of the best players in the world joined them.
Around 20,000 fans gathered at the DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday in a rain-hit unveiling, with Sergio Busquets also presented to the fans.
On the unveiling ceremony, Beckham told ESPN:
"We have the greatest player in history in our city and in our club, that attracted a lot of attention around the world, something we always wanted. We had 3.5 billion viewers during Leo's presentation, it was something very big."
Earlier this month, Beckham revealed that he was swarmed with messages after Messi announced his decision to move to Inter Miami.