Lionel Messi, the world’s most famous soccer player and arguably its most famous athlete, is now playing at Inter Miami CF. Messi brings his global star power to Miami’s Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. With Messi playing his first match July 21 against Cruz Azul as part of the Leagues Cup, let’s take a look at how Inter Miami got to this point and how Messi ended up in Miami.

Miami Gets a Major League Soccer Team

Back in February 2014, soccer superstar David Beckham announced that he was exercising his option to take ownership of an MLS expansion club and planned to place it in Miami. Details about where the team would play, who his fellow owners would be and what the team would be named came later. At the time, Beckham promised the stadium would be privately funded, and he called out a handful of sites he was considering.

Four years later, in 2018, MLS made it official, announcing Miami as its 25th club, set to begin play during the 2020 season. Miami business leader Jorge Mas made the announcement as the team’s managing owner. Joining Mas and Beckham in the ownership group were Jorge’s brother Jose Mas, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and “American Idol” producer Simon Fuller. That September, the group announced that the team would be called Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, or Inter Miami CF for short.

In 2021, Beckham and the Mas brothers bought out Claure’s, Son’s and Fuller’s shares of the club and announced that Ares Management had acquired a $150 million preferred equity investment.

Beckham’s group opted to tear down the old Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and rebuild on the site, creating an 18,000-seat, state-of-the-art home for Inter Miami. The team began play in March 2020. Inter Miami is now playing in its fourth MLS season, and although it has yet to win a title, its fortunes may be about to change.

Messi comes to Miami

After winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina’s national team, seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was looking for a change. He’d played two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain after 16 seasons with FC Barcelona and was looking to either return to Barça or leave Europe altogether. In early June 2023, Messi announced his plans to move with his family to North America and play for Inter Miami.

By mid-July 2023, Inter Miami announced it had agreed to terms with the global superstar, paying him between $50 million and $60 million per year for two-and-a-half years, with Messi having an option for 2026. Messi will also get an ownership stake in the team after he retires and endorsement deals with Adidas and Apple, among others.

His debut, on July 21 at what is now known as Chase Stadium, is against LIGA MX’s Cruz Azul as part of the Leagues Cup, a mid-season tournament between MLS and LIGA MX that determines which three teams will advance to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. His second game – also at home – is four days later, on July 25 against Atlanta United.

Miami Freedom Park

While Messi will be playing in Chase Stadium for now, plans are underway for Miami Freedom Park – a grand new home for Inter Miami on the site of the recently closed Melreese Country Club. A proposed billion-dollar development just southeast of Miami International Airport, Miami Freedom Park would include a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, a 750-room hotel, a 58-acre park, a million-square-foot commercial complex with retail, restaurants and offices, and a 4,600-car garage.

The finished project would be the premier venue in all of MLS, bringing Miami yet another sports gem to shine alongside Hard Rock Stadium, loanDepot Park and the Kaseya Center. Jorge Mas announced in June that his group has applied for all appropriate permits and hopes to have the stadium open by summer or early fall 2025.

About Inter Miami’s Emblem

Inter Miami has one of the most distinctive crests in MLS, a tribute to the colors, art, nature and diversity that make Miami such a special place. The pink and black circular logo is emblazoned with the club’s name wrapping around the edge. In the center, below the city’s name, two herons stand back to back, with the Roman numerals MMXX below.

Herons, which are indigenous birds to South Florida, symbolize freedom, power, protection and patience, according to Greek mythology. They stand back to back with their legs crossed to form an “M” for Miami. The three-pointed shield behind them represents Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Finally, the Roman numerals represent 2020, the year the team began play.

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