Beckham: 'Messi agreeing to Miami is the most wonderful moment'

"I never thought I would feel as co-owner as I did as a player," Beckham told The Athletic. "When I received the phone call confirming Messi's arrival at Inter Miami, it felt like walking out to Old Trafford or Wembley. I told myself that I had just beaten every opponent to sign the greatest player in history. This will be the biggest deal in American sports history."

When asked if it was one of the best moments of his life, the British player replied: "Definitely."

Inter Miami was founded in 2018. Two years later, they joined the MLS, finishing 19th, 20th and sixth place for three seasons, respectively. Currently, Inter Miami is at the bottom of the table after 22 matches in the 2023 season, including five wins, three draws and 14 losses. Right before the time of signing Messi, Inter Miami went 11 matches without winning in a row.

Beckham has revealed his desire to bring Messi to the MLS and pitched the idea to co-owner Jorge Mas over a dinner 10 years ago. According to the former Man Utd midfielder, every sports franchise owner wants to recruit the best players and see Messi as the most suitable person to convince to Inter Miami.

It was not until 2019 that Beckham went to Barcelona to directly tell Jorge Messi, Messi's agent and father, about wanting to bring the Argentine star to Inter Miami. "We snuck into a hotel, met Jorge Messi and started a conversation," Beckham said. "The content of the conversation was 'We want Messi to go to Inter Miami. We know Messi can't come right away, but one day maybe Inter Miami'."

Beckham said he always loved America and wanted to take advantage of his experience from playing at the top in Europe to change the face of MLS. He also compared Messi's move to Inter Miami to his own deal when he joined LA Galaxy in 2007, emphasizing that the owner of the seven Ballon d'Ors wants to win and is committed to the long-term project of Inter Miami.

Meanwhile, Barca President Joan Laporta admitted it felt strange to see Messi in an Inter Miami shirt. He confirmed the Barca members wanted Messi to return to the Camp Nou, but all respected the decision and wished the 36-year-old striker the best.

This summer, Messi was rumored to return to Barca when his contract with PSG expires. However, the 36-year-old striker said that many people at Barca did not want him to return, and he himself had not received an official invitation, so he decided to go to Inter Miami.

However, Laporta believes that Barca has been approved by La Liga to balance the financial plan and can sign Messi. According to Barca president, Messi's father, Jorge Messi, said that his son had spent a very difficult year in Paris, wanted to relieve the pressure and could not do it if he returned to the Camp Nou. "Things in Miami are different, it's a new league, improving and Messi can help the league grow," Laporta told ESPN on July 28. "Everything that is good for Messi makes us happy, and that is also good for Barca. We always keep Messi in our hearts and Messi also knows that Barca is his home."