Lionel Messi arrives in South Florida, Inter Miami targeting July 21 for debut
MIAMI – Argentine superstar and new striker for Inter Miami CF Lionel Messi arrived Tuesday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
CBS News Miami cameras captured the star getting off a plane along with his wife and children.
They quickly made their way to an awaiting black van, that had been waiting a short distance from the plane.
Inter Miami twitted for fans to get ready for a major unveiling on July 16th. It is expected for Messi to be presented to fans at DRV PNK Stadium during this unveiling.
Save The Date 📅⚽
Major unveiling event set for this Sunday, July 16 at 6PM at @DRVPNKStadium! Tickets will be FREE for Season Ticket Members, while limited tickets may become available for purchase at a later date.
Make sure to stay tuned to our social channels for details… pic.twitter.com/lC5bm9OrfK
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 11, 2023
Team officials said the event would include “exciting entertainment, speeches on the pitch and more.”
Inter Miami is also targeting a July 21 debut match for Messi.
Some tickets for the July 21 Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul are on the secondary markets for more than $10,000 apiece, clearly in anticipation of it being Messi’s debut with the club.
The superstar shocked the world when he announced that he would be joining MLS.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner – the trophy given annually to the world’s best player – decided to make his move to MLS after two years with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi, who just turned 36, filled the only significant unchecked box on his resume back in December by leading Argentina to the World Cup title.
He is expected to make between $50 million and $60 million annually with Inter Miami, the club confirmed.
Messi was in Argentina recently, where he played a couple of friendly matches – farewell celebrity games to honor former Argentina teammates Juan Roman Riquelme in Buenos Aires and Maxi Rodriguez in Messi’s hometown of Rosario – and had been vacationing in advance of his arrival in South Florida.
