The hopes of Lionel Messi of enjoying a quieter life in MLS to close out his legendary career may seem somewhat illusory. In Miamia city revolutionized by his arrival, the world champion began an intense first week of presentations on Wednesday.
A day earlier, Rosario landed in the sunny city of Florida in a private plane with his wife and children.
In the early hours of Wednesday Messi, according to sources consulted by the AFP agency, went to the training facilities of the inter miamihis new team, without the accredited media having access.
On Sunday it will be presented in style at the DRV PNK stadiumin an event dubbed “The Unveil” (The Revelation) that will also offer musical entertainment for the 18,000 fans.
The event can be followed on Apple TV + and will take place in parallel to the final of the Concacaf Gold Cup that will be held in Los Angeles, on the other US coast.
To maximize the impact of both soccer events, Inter could allow Gold Cup broadcasters to link up with Messi’s half-time presentation of the final, which will be played by the winners of Wednesday’s semifinals between Mexico and Jamaica and between the United States. United States and Panama.
For Monday, Inter called the media to an “important press conference” which Messi is expected to attend along with the franchise owners.
Among them is England’s David Beckham, whose 2007 arrival at the LA Galaxy was the most impactful signing in MLS history… until Messi landed.
The first full training session for the Albiceleste captain will take place on Tuesday with his new companions. More accustomed to the discretion of closed-door practices, all of Messi’s movements will be scrutinized by the media cameras that will have access to the pitch.
The long-awaited debut could take place on July 21 against Cruz Azul in Inter’s debut in the Leagues Cup, a tournament in which all the MLS and Mexican league teams will compete for a month.
Anticipating the arrival of Messi, Inter Miami added Gerardo Martino, his former coach in Barcelona and Argentina, as coach, and is working on reinforcements such as Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, who could also be presented on Sunday.
When opting for the move to MLS, abandoning top-level soccer in Europe, Messi said that one of his intentions was to live a quieter life with his family when he was 36 years old.
In addition to all the commitments with his new franchise, which offers him a contract that is vastly superior to that of the other MLS stars, the introverted Messi will also be the great attraction of the giant Apple TV +’s commitment to MLS, which has begun to broadcast globally this season with a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract.
David Beckham also attended practice on Wednesday, which brought together a multitude of media, who could be seen touching the ball wearing a white shirt, sunglasses and sneakers.
“It’s a big change, I don’t know what to say, but I know it’s a big change not only for the club, but also for the city. It’s very important for everyone and we have to enjoy it,” said Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez.
The Inter players, a franchise with mediocre results in its four years of life despite having stars like Gonzalo Higuain, will have to learn to deal with an explosion of attention and expectations, goalkeeper Drake Callender acknowledged.
Messi will land in a squad sunk in the last position of the Eastern Conference, with only five wins in 21 games.
Callender acknowledged that they need an immediate change of course if they are to have any hope of making the playoffs and challenging for the title.
“I think we are better than our position in the league but the reality is that we are in last place. That is something we have to control and change,” he said.
Source: Ambito
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