Inter Miami have officially announced the signing of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi on a free transfer.
“Inter Miami announced the signing of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup Champion, Lionel Messi,” confirmed a statement on the club’s official website, adding: “The Argentine superstar, who will occupy a Designated Player slot, is expected to join the team in the coming days, and his contract will run through the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season.”
Speaking after being unveiled, the former Barcelona star said: “I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” adding: “This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”
Read Also: WATCH : Lionel Messi arives Miami to start MLS journey
Messi will first be available for selection for Inter Miami CF when they take on LIGA MX side, Cruz Azul in the July 21 opening match of Leagues Cup, a new North American soccer tournament in which MLS and LIGA MX will pause their respective league seasons from July 21 to August 19 to determine the three clubs that will qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Messi’s list of personal accolades includes a record seven Ballon d’Or titles, three Best Fifa Men’s Player awards, and two Fifa World Cup Golden Balls – making him the only player to win the award twice. He has also claimed three Uefa Men’s Player of the Year Awards, six European Golden Shoes, six La Liga Best Player recognitions, eight Pichichi Trophies, and 15 Argentine Footballer of the Year awards.
The 36-year-old Argentine has also lifted dozens of team trophies to this point in his career. Notably, Messi has won the Uefa Champions League four times, an Olympic gold medal, three Fifa Club World Cups, 10 La Liga titles, two Ligue 1 titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and one Trophée des Champions.
On the international stage, Messi guided Argentina to the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa América title and 2022 CONMEBOL-Uefa Cup of Champions, and further cemented his legacy by leading his country to a historic 2022 Fifa World Cup title.
Messi played the majority of his club career with Barcelona, coming through the youth ranks and going on to feature for the senior team across 17 seasons. The legendary playmaker made 780 appearances for the team, scoring 672 goals and registering 291 assists in the process. His appearance and goal tallies both rank first among all players in the history of the club.