David Beckham has revealed one of the most exciting moments of his professional career: the instant he learned that Leo Messi had decided to sign with Inter Miami. The former English footballer, now president and co-founder of the American franchise, explains that he received the call he had been waiting for years that early morning, news that made him break down in tears of emotion.
Beckham, who experienced Champions League finals and historic nights with Manchester United and the English national team, assures that no decisive match generated as many feelings in him as that message confirming the arrival of the most decisive player of his generation. His account explains how an operation was built that began to take shape long before Inter Miami itself existed as a club.
A signing that began before Messi left Barcelona
The former midfielder recalls that conversations with **Messi's** family began long before the Argentine left Barça. "We had been talking to his father for five years," explains Beckham, who, along with his partner Jorge Mas, initiated contact even before Inter Miami debuted in MLS.
The idea, they say, was to lay the groundwork for an ambitious project that could attract, in the future, the best footballer in the world. At that time —2018— Messi was still an FC Barcelona player and his stated desire was to retire at the Catalan club. Even so, the bridge between both parties was built, and communication was maintained discreetly for years.
The Decisive Dawn: "Messi is coming to Miami"
The key moment arrived in 2023. After two seasons at PSG and having announced his departure, Messi had to decide his future. That's when Beckham received the call he will never forget. It happened in the early morning, in Japan, where the Englishman was for personal commitments.
"It was four or five in the morning. I was in bed and my phone wouldn't stop ringing," recalls the former player. His wife, Victoria, asked him to turn it off, but Beckham felt that insistent noise must mean something important.
“I grabbed my phone, put on my glasses, and read: ‘Messi is coming to Miami’
Beckham explains the exact moment. “I got goosebumps. I sat on the bed and started crying. It was him. Leo was coming to Miami”. After receiving the news, Beckham immediately called his partner, Jorge Mas, who also couldn't believe it. Both had been working for years to achieve a dream that many in the United States considered impossible.
"I can't believe it, we hope he comes," Mas told him. "Then I'll believe it. Go with your wife to the airport to pick him up, because maybe we've signed his brother." Both joked, but they shared a clear idea: they were about to close **the biggest signing in the history of American soccer**.
Messi's Immediate Impact on Inter Miami
The arrival of Messi not only revolutionized MLS, but also Inter Miami itself, a young franchise that went from fighting to grow to competing for titles. The Argentine transformed the team from day one, leading a sporting project that found its cornerstone in him.
With Messi, Inter Miami conquered the 2023 Leagues Cup, the first title in its history, and later the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, the award that recognizes the best team in the regular season. The Argentine captain's impact transcended the sporting: attendance records, historic television audiences, and massive growth in the club's international image.
An Inter Miami That Dreams Big
Beckham and Mas's sporting project has gone from being a promise to a real contender within MLS. Messi's presence has raised expectations and collective performance, leading the team to qualify for the conference final for the first time, which will be played this Sunday.
The former English footballer believes that Messi's signing was not solely a sporting operation, but an event that will change the history of MLS and football in the United States. "He is the greatest player to have ever played football," Beckham recalls, and assures that his presence has elevated the level of the entire competition.
Messi, a before and after for MLS
Since his arrival, Messi has contributed to raising the league's media, sporting, and economic levels. Big names have landed in the United States attracted by the Argentine's presence, and MLS has experienced notable growth in global relevance.
Inter Miami has gone from being an emerging franchise to one of the most talked-about teams in the world, driving interest in MLS in international markets and establishing itself as a benchmark for North American soccer
A historic signing that Beckham will never forget
The story of how Messi's signing for Inter Miami perfectly summarizes David Beckham's vision: a long-term project, worked on in silence, driven by ambition, and crowned with the arrival of the best player on the planet
That message received in the early hours of the morning in Japan marked the former English player forever, who does not hesitate to describe it as one of the most exciting moments of his life