FORT LAUDERDALE: Argentine star Lionel Messi landed in Florida on Tuesday ahead of putting the final touches on his move to US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami from Paris St Germain.

Argentine television footage showed Messi, with members of his family, walking off a private jet at a small, executive airport adjacent to Inter Miami’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

The World Cup winner is expected to put pen to paper on a two and a half year deal, reported to be worth $60 million a year, before being presented to fans at a stadium event on Sunday and the 36-year-old has no regrets about his decision to join Inter Miami.

“I’m happy with the decision we made. I’m ready and eager to face the new challenge,” Messi said in an interview with Argentine television on Tuesday.

“My mentality and my head are not going to change and I will try, wherever I am, to give the maximum for myself and for the club, to continue to perform at the highest level.”

Messi is the biggest name to ever move to MLS and the greatest player to head to the United States since Brazilian great Pele signed for the New York Cosmos in 1975.

MLS hope that Messi will massively increase the profile of the league and boost subscriptions to their streaming broadcast deal with Apple TV. Ticket prices for games likely to involve Messi have already sky-rocketed.

Fans had begun to gat­her at the club’s DRV PNK stadium early in the morning ahead of his expected arrival. The club is preparing to hold a special event for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s presentation at the stadium.

“Fans will be able to enjoy an exciting night of entertainment, on-the-pitch speeches and more,” the club said in a statement, adding tickets would be free of charge for season ticket holders.

The World Cup winner will be reunited with former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami as well as former Argentina coach Gerardo Martino.

Messi is expected to make his debut for the club on July 21 in a Leagues Cup clash against Mexican side Cruz Azul. The Florida club currently occupies last place in MLS’ 15-team East­ern Conference standings with 18 points from 21 games.

His arrival will also add to the momentum around the sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States along with Canada and Mexico.

INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT

Messi is unlikely to be in Argentina’s squad when they defend their World Cup title but he said he has no idea when he will finally call time on his international career.

Messi admitted he had achieved everything he had hoped for in football after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last December.

The Albiceleste captain scored two goals in the final and won the Golden Ball awarded to the tournament’s best player.

“Even I don’t know when. It’ll happen when it happens,” he said in the interview, which was conducted in China last month. “After winning everything I want to enjoy the moment and wait for time to tell me when it’s the moment.

“Logically, given my age, one would expect it to be soon, but I don’t know for sure. Now that we are American champions [Arg­e­n­tina won the 2021 Copa America] and world champions we have to enjoy that.”

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023