After adding one of the greatest soccer players in history to his franchise, David Beckham made sure to savor the moment when Lionel Messi walked through Inter Miami’s doors for the very first time over the summer.
In fact, the Inter co-owner was so enthused by the thought of Messi entering the building that he arrived at training himself every day at 7am to watch him do exactly that in the initial weeks after his arrival.
‘Firstly, I wanted to be in before Leo to show him I was there and the commitment I have to the team and the club,’ Beckham said in an interview with The Times. ‘But it was also important for me to enjoy this moment after all the hard work.
David Beckham arrived at Inter Miami training at 7am every day after signing Lionel Messi
‘I wanted to see him come in, see him go about everything he does so professionally, setting an example to all the young kids here.
‘He is a superstar, but the most humble superstar. And I just love to watch him train.
Beckham lured Messi to Miami over the summer in one of the biggest MLS signings of all time
The Inter co-owner says he wanted to be in the building early every day to watch him ‘go about everything he does’
Beckham also described Messi as a ‘superstar, but the most humble superstar’ off the field
‘Anyone who has seen him live knows he’s different, special. People said he might need time to fit in. It took him seconds.’
Messi mania well and truly captivated US soccer when the Barcelona and Argentina legend rocked up back in July, with reports suggesting the demand for his Miami jerseys were so high that even Beckham himself was made to wait for one to gift to friends.
And the 36-year-old instantly justified the obvious hype, scoring 10 goals in his first seven appearances – including a stoppage-time winner on his debut – to help secure Miami’s first ever piece of silverware in the Leagues Cup.
He was absent for their US Open Cup final defeat by Houston Dynamo, and his first season came to a premature end when Tata Martino’s men failed to reach the MLS playoffs, but Beckham is still pinching himself at the fact Messi is simply an Inter player.
‘I promised the fans and people of Miami that I wanted to bring some of the best players in the world,’ the former Man United and Real Madrid star, who recently presented Messi with his eighth Balon d’Or award, added. ‘I am sure every owner says that but, from day one, he was the dream player I wanted to bring to Miami.
‘I see him in our kit, I watch him train and play, and I can’t believe that we have Lionel Messi in our club.’
Beckham also spoke of his pride at personally deciding that Miami would play in pink – despite being warned against it.
He is still pinching himself at the fact Messi now works his magic in Miami’s famous pink strip
Beckham also personally presented Messi with his eighth Ballon d’Or award last month
With Messi now on the team, the jersey has become one of the most in-demand across the globe.
But years ago, when Beckham was planning for what he wanted Inter Miami to be – and the idea of Messi in Major League Soccer was a wild dream – he decided that his club would play in pink.
He said: ‘Drive around Miami and it’s a very recurring color. At the time a lot of people were saying “don’t go for pink”.
‘I was the one who said it has to be the main color. So that was me. I’m actually very proud of it. I am glad I held my nerve and pushed it through.’
