The heavens had opened, and on this particular Sunday, rumors of divine intervention were swirling in the winds over Fort Lauderdale.
“This is holy water!” Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami, shouted to the sky. It was shortly before 9 p.m. on July 16. Shortly before Lionel Messi was introduced to the 20,000 supporters who had waited in the heat and then sheltered from a storm. Shortly before Miami ushered in a new era for Major League Soccer.
“This is our moment!” Mass continued. “Our moment to change the football landscape in this country.”
Had such grand expectations and hyperbole snowballs since the Argentinian announced his move to Florida.
Mas suggested that Messi could make MLS a top-three league in the world. The 36-year-old was tipped to save a struggling team and inspire a new generation of supporters. There was even hope that his arrival could help erode structural barriers that are damaging to American youth football.
Lionel Messi was revealed as a player of Inter Miami on July 16 in front of a packed stadium
The event was delayed by a storm that brought howling winds and heavy rain in Florida
It all seemed rather optimistic – bordering on fanciful. It all meant that the stakes could hardly have been higher as Messi stepped into the frenzy at the DRV PNK stadium.
The danger, of course, was that delusion would soon give way to disappointment. That Messi’s move to Miami would fail after all the fanfare and best-laid plans. After all, MLS has been around before. And the early weather didn’t bode well: Messi’s big reveal was delayed by a tropical storm and co-owner David Beckham slipped on the specially constructed runway.
A month later, however, the World Cup winner rewrote the script. Somehow, Messi has surpassed those big expectations – the 36-year-old has already made a seismic impact on Inter Miami and Major League Soccer. Off the field and on it.
His arrival has changed the landscape of ticket and jersey sales and TV subscriptions and, possibly soon, the football calendar.
His first six games, meanwhile, have seen six wins, nine goals and several moments of incredible drama. His seventh appearance could end with the first silverware in Inter Miami’s short history.
LeBron James and Serena Williams were among the celebrities who attended Messi’s debut
The World Cup winner scored a final free-kick to secure victory over Cruz Azul in Miami
The victims so far? A Mexican team, five MLS rivals, two Miami players – one released to make way for Messi, the other axed weeks after doubting the marquee signing – and a cleaner, who was sacked for calling Messi for asked for his autograph.
By the night he walked into his new home, Miami had played 11 MLS games without winning. On Saturday evening, the team of Tata Martino will face Nashville in the final of the Leagues Cup.
The paint was poured a few days after that wet and wonderful reveal in Fort Lauderdale – when LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian showed up to watch Messi come off the bench, take the captain’s armband and mark his debut with a last- minute free kick to beat Cruz Azul.
“This is how it should end,” Beckham had thought when he saw the foul.
“It was like a movie that will be repeated forever,” Martino added.
That 2-1 victory put Miami on track. Messi then scored twice in wins over Atlanta United (4-0), Orlando City (3-1) and Dallas as he produced more late heroics – dragging Inter Miami back from 4-2 down, scoring another free-kick and then leading them to victory on penalties.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham celebrates with his family after the win over Dallas
His perfect scoring streak continued in the quarterfinals against Charlotte (4-0) and in the semifinals against the Philadelphia Union (4-1). Next stop: Nashville.
Miami is a big favorite to win on Saturday night. Thanks to Messi, but also thanks to Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – his former Barcelona teammates who followed Messi to Florida – and Martino, his former coach at Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
“They pass on this confidence to the younger players,” Martino said this week. “He has a dedication to the game… and it’s contagious.”
Logistically, Messi has forced a rethink: now matchdays and training sessions require additional security, even adjustments to the protocol.
He joined the team’s WhatsApp group without some teammates noticing. He helped one with tickets to his own reveal and donated Beats headphones to Miami’s players. Teammates reportedly saved his number under various pseudonyms – just in case.
Other new unlikely heroes have popped up in Miami, such as Finland’s Robert Taylor (center)
The 36-year-old – who lives a short drive from the team’s training base – is said to have arrived first on his first day and others subsequently shifted their schedules to follow suit.
Reports also claim that Messi and Busquets have stayed behind after training to work with academy prospects.
They have already formed other unlikely heroes, such as Robert Taylor from Finland. A few years ago, he languished in England’s non-league.
It does not go unnoticed. Antoine Griezmann has watched Messi’s impact and remains determined to finish his career in MLS. Apple has announced a new docu-series chronicling the blockbuster movement.
Messi’s former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets (left) and Jordi Alba have joined him
Inter Miami’s social media following has exploded, while Mas recently claimed that Apple’s MLS Season Pass subscribers have more than doubled since he signed.
According to sportswear retailer Fanatics, the first day of Messi jersey sales saw the best 24 hours of all players switching teams in all sports.
Between the news of his move and August 1, more Inter Miami merchandise has been sold than in the rest of 2023.
On the pitch, the arrival of Messi – and Busquets and Alba – is bad news for Miami’s rivals. These first few weeks suggest they won’t be at the bottom of the MLS rankings for long.
But other teams’ pockets bulge as Messi rolls into town. Take Chicago Fire. It is said that prior to Messi’s announcement on June 7, the club had sold around 8,000 tickets for Inter Miami’s visit to Miami. After the news broke, they flogged another 10,000 in about 10 hours. Before this week’s win in Philadelphia, the average ticket price at one site was $609 — nearly double the figure for the Eagles’ opening game in the NFL.
A New York Red Bulls fan sold her ticket to Messi’s MLS debut next week, helping to pay for her knee surgery.
Beckham enjoyed a night out with Miami’s new recruits (LR): Alba, Messi and Busquets
Some owners want more freedom to put that extra money to good use. Miami’s transfer activity has reignited debate over how the league can grow. Several club chiefs have long wanted looser spending rules.
“I think league rules are going to change,” said Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin. “He (Messi) coming here is going to change a lot, and he should.”
Union’s record transfer is only $2.8 million. But as captain Alejandro Bedoya said, “Miami is pushing the boundaries… it’s good for the league, it’s good for football in our country and our region. With the World Cup approaching (in 2026) we are at a turning point.’
The president of the Argentine Football Association has reportedly invited Miami to participate in the 2024 Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition.
That could mean Messi’s return to Argentina. For now, however, he is enjoying his adopted home. The 36-year-old has been house hunting with his wife Antonela. He bought cereal in Publix. He had lunch with the Beckham and Mas families. He went partying with Victoria, David, Alba and Busquets.
Saturday night’s trip to Nashville could give them another excuse to visit the city.