On January 29, 2018, Inter Miami announced its incorporation into Major League Soccer, the American soccer league, as a new team that would join the Eastern Conference. However, the most striking news based on this was that, after six years of business, David Beckham, historical English player known for making great marketing and communication moves within the football world, would be one of the owners of the institution.
Two years after the announcement, at the beginning of 2020, it was when Inter Miami made its debut in North American soccer after spending 44 million dollars to form its new squad, being the third franchise that invested the most money in that year. In addition, he had to make an expense of only 25 million to allow his registration thanks to the agreement that the League signed with the Englishman when he arrived as a Los Angeles Galaxy player: it was the cost he would have to pay, if one day he wanted to form a team.
Likewise, the nose that the idol of Manchester United has to make large investments was not driven alone as often thought. And, despite being the main face of Inter Miami due to its fame, it shares its percentage of action with two partners: the billionaire duo of the Mas brothers.
David Beckham returns to the charge for Messi.
Jorge and Jose Mas are two more than influential people in the business world and also the faces of the club along with Beckham. They were heirs to a great fortune left to them by their father Jorge Mas Canosa, which they knew how to multiply mainly with their family company MasTec. In addition, Jorge is the president of the Spanish club Zaragoza.
Although Beckham is the visible face, the brothers played a fundamental role in the founding of Inter Miami, obtaining between them a higher percentage of action than the Englishman: 48% each, against 10%. What's more, the club's website describes Jorge Mas as the CEO and owner manager, while Beckham and Jose Mas are co-owners. It is worth clarifying that since 2021 the Englishman had to take a more important role as sporting director after the departure of Paul McDonough, who occupied that role at the time.
The truth is that Beckham had tried to face the project alone but was about to shipwreck in his attempt. It was when the brothers appeared with their capital and influences and everything unlocked: "About sixty days ago (January 2018), we had finished. We gave up. We weren't going to do this. We met David for breakfast at a hotel in New York City to practically say goodbye. Then, we looked at each other and he said, 'man, we just can't give up,'" Marcelo Claure, Beckham's business partner, recalled years ago, who agreed with him when he mentioned that he believed "that this could not be realized."
Lionel Messi and David Beckham with Italian Verratti. Photo: PSG Inside.
Now, David Beckham who was a kind of king of marketing within the world of football, has just given the big blow. And the symbiosis with their partners was perfect: it is that, as they say, the Mas led the negotiation hand in hand with Jorge Messi to reach an agreement. That pleasant treatment, plus the impossibility of Barcelona to realize the return of Leo, made the United States soccer realize the most important pass in its history.
These days, Inter Miami is last in the MLS so Phil Neville, Beckham's former teammate at Manchester United, was fired from the technical direction, and is being directed on an interim basis by the Argentine Javier Morales.
But changes are coming and Beckham and company diagram a true dream team for MLS. Who sounds? Tata Martino would have advanced talks to sit on the bench of substitutes. And Messi could be reunited with old acquaintances such as Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Something like a The Last Dance at full throttle for the multi-champions of Barcelona.
The day Messi "retired" Beckham
The twists and turns of fate always give something to talk about. In case of officializing the rumors that place Messi in Miami, the world champion would be cordial with Beckham after having been "the cause" of his retirement.
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I decided to retire after playing against Messi. I tried to catch up with him and he doubled me in speed. I was playing with PSG and we were ahead on the scoreboard in a Champions League game. He came in and in a few minutes he scored Barcelona's goal. Despite my age, I enjoyed playing a lot, but after that situation I made the decision to retire," the now shareholder of Lionel's possible future team once said about a 2013 match. Ten years later, Beckham can have the luxury of enjoying in his club the magic of who encouraged him to hang up his boots.
David Beckham and Lionel Messi, in the Champions League.Photo: Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
See also
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