David Beckham has shared how he reacted to the news that Argentina legend Lionel Messi decided to join the MLS side he co-owns, Inter Miami.
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Last month, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner announced he would be taking his career to the United States, explaining that he wanted to take his future into his own hands rather than leave it in someone else's.
Inter Miami's pursuit of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner had spanned four years, according to Beckham's partner Jorge Mas, who recently stated that the idea of signing the Barcelona legend was first floated around at the club in 2019.
Beckham, meanwhile, has claimed to have not been surprised when Messi went public with his decision and suggested he has always been determined to recruit world-class players for his team.
"A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to about a million messages on my phone," he said at the "Lessons in Leadership" seminar in London, according to 90min.
"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. Obviously, it wasn't a surprise to me.
"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."
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Messi will soon officially be announced by the struggling MLS side, who have won just five of the 19 games they have played so far this season.
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