World Cup Champ Lionel Messi’s MLS Debut Set For July In Miami: Report

MIAMI, FL — World Cup Champion Lionel Messi is set to make his Major League Soccer debut next month. He’ll suit up on July 21 for his first game with his new team, Inter Miami, according to multiple reports.

The team is set to play Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup match against Mexican team Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium that day, co-owner Jorge Mas said, according to Fox News.

Messi decided earlier this month to make the move from Paris Saint-Germain to Miami, which is co-owned by another global soccer legend, David Beckham.

Related Stories:

• Soaring Ticket Prices And A Social Media Boom, The Messi Effect On US Soccer
• Soccer's Messi Picks Inter Miami In Exit From Paris Saint-Germain
• MLS Hopes Messi Will Boost Attendance, TV Viewers

The 35-year-old player turned down a $425 million offer from a Saudi Arabian team, Al-Hilal, to make the move to Miami after a deal with FC Barcelona fell through, the Miami New Times reported.

At Inter Miami, Messi will make $50 to $60 million each year, according to Sports Business Journal. This doesn’t include potential income from deals with brands like Adidas and Apple.

His move to Florida is “the one seminal moment” for U.S. soccer history, Mas told the Miami Herald.

“I think there will always be a before and after Messi when we talk about the sport in the United States. I have a very, very strong held belief that we can create in North America and the United States if not the greatest league, one of the top two leagues in the world. I cannot overemphasize the magnitude of this announcement,” he said.

Mas added, “Having the world’s greatest player here is something that is significant for our league, and for the football ecosystem in the United States…Lionel Messi is coming to this country to win cups and make a difference. I think it’s incumbent upon myself and my partners in the league, the other owners, to seize the moment.”