- Nasima Akter
David Beckham Helps Paint The Lionel Messi Mural
Lionel Messi's highly anticipated move to Inter Miami is set to be celebrated with a grand unveiling on July 16, and franchise owner David Beckham himself has gone above and beyond to welcome the iconic forward to Florida. Beckham, known for his artistic side, took on the task of painting a gigantic mural of Messi's face as a tribute to the Argentine superstar.
Last month, Messi shocked the football world when he made the decision to join Major League Soccer instead of accepting a lucrative deal in Saudi Arabia. Opting to play for Beckham's Florida-based club, Messi's move to Inter Miami is rumored to come with an extraordinary compensation package. Reports suggest that the 36-year-old will receive a share of Apple TV's revenue generated by MLS Season Pass, as well as a portion of Adidas profits resulting from his arrival in the league.
Messi's arrival in the United States is poised to surpass the impact of Brazilian legend Pele's transfer to the New York Cosmos in 1975, making it the most significant signing in the history of North American soccer. The Argentine superstar reportedly signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Miami franchise, and the enthusiasm surrounding his arrival is shared by no one more than David Beckham himself.
Over the weekend, Beckham's wife, Victoria, took to social media to share footage of her husband meticulously painting the colossal mural on the side of a building in Miami. Tagging Messi in her post, Victoria wrote, "Only arrived a few days and he got straight to it! @DavidBeckham is quite the artist!"
In another post, she added, "@DavidBeckham feeling quite accomplished AS HE SHOULD."
On her Instagram story, Victoria showered her husband with praise, stating, "So I think that David has done a really good job of painting Messi here in Miami. We've only been here a few days, and he has got straight to it. And look, it's massive. Is there nothing that David Beckham can't do? He is up there, painting away. I'm impressed."
Beckham's excitement over Messi's decision to join Inter Miami is evident. The signing represents a monumental achievement in MLS history, and Beckham recently expressed his pride in securing the services of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to about a million messages on my phone," the 48-year-old remarked. "I was thinking, 'What's gone off?' I don't usually get this many messages. All of a sudden, I hear Leo has come out and announced he's coming to Miami."
"It wasn't a surprise to me," Beckham continued. "I have always said, from the word go, that if I had the opportunity to bring the best players in the game to Miami, at whatever time of their careers, I would do that. I have always made that commitment to our fans."
"So when I hear that one of the best players - if not the best player - who has won everything in the game, who is still a great player, still young and still doing what he's doing, wants to play for my team, it's a massive moment for us," Beckham concluded.
The grand unveiling of Lionel Messi as an Inter Miami player will take place alongside fellow new signing Sergio Busquets at Miami's DRV PNL Stadium on July 16. The two players are familiar with each other from their time together at Barcelona and could potentially make their debut for Inter Miami against Mexico's Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on July 21.
