Messi Welcome Weekend

07/14/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Miami Rolls Out the Red Carpet to Welcome Lionel Messi

The G.O.A.T. has landed, and unless you’re a no-go on social media platforms, you’ve seen the hype growing. All across Miami, sports fans are gearing up in a variety of ways for the arrival of Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player to ever live. A brewing company turned his Inter Miami jersey into the label for a new beer called GOAT10. An Argentinian artist painted a giant Messi mural in the arts district with help from team owner David Beckham. From street signs to restaurant walls and custom jerseys, Messi is everywhere, and he hasn’t stepped foot on the pitch.

Messi Welcome Weekend

In case you forgot, the 36-year-old Argentinian super-icon announced his decision to join Inter Miami of the MLS on June 7. His first match will be on July 21 (next Friday), but he arrived in the U.S. on Tuesday. The official Messi presentation, dubbed ‘The Unveil’, will take place on Sunday (8:00 pm ET) at halftime of the Concacaf Gold Cup Final between Mexico and Panama. The club announced there will be live entertainment and a variety of speeches for the most highly anticipated player unveiling in Miami since ‘The Decision’ with LeBron James in 2010.

You can expect an increase in our MLS coverage in the days ahead. However, Inter Miami is currently dead last in the league. With the addition of Messi, Miami is also targeting some of his old Barcelona teammates and soccer legends, including Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta. We’ll see if the club’s fortune changes overnight.

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Photo: Chandan Khanna / Getty Images