Inter Miami's initial pitch to Lionel Messi came in 2019. After that meeting followed a three-year courtship that included secret trips to Paris and multiple in-person pitches. PaulTenorio on the deal that brought Messi to Miami & changed MLS:
, was making another push to sign many top players around the world. The big contracts coming out of Saudi Arabia have shaken up the global transfer market and wooed stars like 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and his France teammate, N’Golo Kante, who signed with Al Ittihad, Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino, who signed with Al Ahli, and Portuguese midfielder, who signed with Al Hilal. But the ultimate target was Messi, and reports pegged the offer as high as $1.3billion over three years.
Even internally at Inter Miami, some staffers felt the odds were stacked against them. Mas, though, remained optimistic. There was excitement, of course, but there was also suddenly a lot of work to do. It wasn’t until hours later, as Mas descended in the elevator from the 12th floor to the seventh and gathered with staff in the Inter Miami offices to watch Messi’s interview announcement, that the reality truly hit him.
“We are pleased that Lionel Messi has stated that he intends to join Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer this summer,” the statement read. “Although work remains to finalize a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our league.”
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