Lionel Messi had not experienced such an honor when he played in Paris. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the Argentinian international received the keys to the city of Miami from the hands of Mayor Francis Xavier Suarez, during the American Business Forum.
A way to thank the “Pulga” for the light brought to football in North America. Author of 74 goals under the colors of Inter Miami, the former Barcelona player is already the top scorer for the club founded in 2018 under the leadership of David Beckham. It recently extended until December 2028.
“Affection and support from residents”
“I am very grateful to the city of Miami, a very special place for my family and me. From the first day, people gave us an incredible welcome,” Messi assured on his Instagram account. The former Paris Sant-Germain player joined the Florida team in the summer of 2023 and he felt “all the affection and support of the inhabitants of this beautiful city, but also of the members of Inter Miami and their supporters since the beginning”.
The native of Rosario (38 years old) was not far from Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, and Donald Trump, also present at this event. Currently, Messi is still involved in MLS. Inter Miami plays the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against Nashville. After a victory in the first leg (3-1), Javier Mascherano’s players lost in the return (2-1) and will have to go through a third match to hope to reach the last four.