<p>Lionel Messi’s blockbuster move to MLS in 2023 stunned the soccer world, not only for its impact on the American sports landscape. It also solidified Inter Miami’s position as a rising force in global soccer. According to David Beckham, owner of Inter Miami, much of the credit for securing Messi’s signature and sealing his arrival to the MLS should go to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/man-united-axes-sir-alex-from-ambassador-role-to-cut-costs/">Sir Alex Ferguson</a>, his legendary former <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-united-tv-schedule/">Manchester United</a> manager. In a recent episode of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdYwenyTCzI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rio Ferdinand Presents&nbsp;podcast</a>, Beckham revealed how Sir Alex’s wisdom played a pivotal role. Particularly in guiding him through the decision-making process behind one of the most significant transfers in US sports history.</p>



<h2>What did Beckham say on his vision for Inter Miami?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20241020_WST_536134_Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-1200x675_839dfb3c.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-536162" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-740x416.jpg 740w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-490x275.jpg 490w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2-250x140.jpg 250w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>From the moment <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/beckham-says-usa-will-win-the-world-cup-because-of-messi/">Beckham</a> established Inter Miami, he had always envisioned signing a marquee player. That player could transform the club and elevate the profile of soccer in the United States. His arrival in 2023 marked the realization of that dream. Reflecting on this pivotal moment, Beckham explained:</p>



<p>“I always said bringing someone like Leo to America was our gift. As an ownership group, we wanted to do something for the game in this country. Messi’s presence would not only benefit the sport but also inspire the next generation of American footballers.”</p>



<p>The Englishman acknowledged that beyond the Argentine’s incredible skill on the pitch, his off-field impact would be profound. “We knew Messi would be successful on the field, but his presence would also help boost our club off the field. Especially in terms of commercial growth and fan engagement. It was important to us to bring in a player who could make a significant difference both on and off the pitch.”</p>



<p>In fact, the Argentine’s impact was immediate. Since joining the team, the Argentine maestro scored 30 goals and provided 17 assists in just 35 appearances. Thus, leading Inter Miami to their first-ever trophy—the 2023 Leagues Cup. More than just a statistic, Messi has <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/fifa-needs-messi-to-sell-club-world-cup-to-tv-network-execs/">energized American soccer</a>. He helped increase attendance at <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/mls-tv-schedule/">Major League Soccer</a> games and boosted the league’s profile internationally.</p>



<h2>Sir Alex Ferguson holds lasting influence on MLS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20241020_WST_536134_Alex-Ferguson-MLS-1200x675_95c6f01f.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-536159" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-740x416.jpg 740w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-490x275.jpg 490w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS-250x140.jpg 250w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/Alex-Ferguson-MLS.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>While Messi’s signing made headlines worldwide, Beckham attributed the success of the transfer to the lessons he learned from Sir Alex Ferguson during his playing days at Manchester United. According to Beckham, one of Ferguson’s key philosophies was that it wasn’t just about signing the biggest names. It was rather the “right players” who fit the club’s culture and long-term vision.</p>



<p>“I learned from the boss over the years that it’s not about bringing the biggest and best players, but the right players. With Leo, we knew we were bringing someone who would succeed on the field and who would also help our club off the field.”</p>



<p>This insight became instrumental when Messi’s potential transfer was in doubt. Messi had been widely expected to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/messi-back-at-camp-nou-in-2024-miami-discuss-potential-date/">return to his former club Barcelona</a> after leaving PSG in 2023. Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal also <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/messi-salary-at-inter-miami-will-be-up-to-60-million-per-year-20230620-WST-438621.html">emerged as a strong contender</a>. However, Beckham’s determination and his belief in Ferguson’s philosophy ultimately secured Messi’s move to South Beach.</p>



<p>Lionel Messi’s arrival has been a game-changer for Inter Miami and the broader U.S. soccer landscape. The Argentine superstar has been nothing short of exceptional. The 36-year-old superstar led his team to new heights and boosted the league’s visibility on the global stage. His influence extends beyond the numbers, as Beckham emphasized, with Messi’s presence fostering a cultural shift and inspiring a new generation of soccer players and fans in America.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>

Sir Alex Ferguson: Driving force behind Messi's MLS move

Lionel Messi's blockbuster move to MLS in 2023 stunned the soccer world, not only for its impact on the American sports landscape.

Sir Alex Ferguson: Driving force behind Messi's MLS move - World Soccer Talk

<p>This year’s European Championships in Germany will be Gareth Southgate’s fourth major tournament in charge of England. With his contract ending next December, this might be his last tournament in that role. Not to mention that Manchester United and other Premier League teams could be interested in signing him.</p>



<p>At the heart of the 53-year-old coach’s thoughts was the current generation of players, including <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/madrid-to-adjust-bellinghams-role-to-make-room-for-bayer-star/">Jude Bellingham</a>, a midfielder for Real Madrid. Since joining La Liga for around $109 million, the ex-<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/win-win-madrid-to-pay-dortmund-if-they-beat-them-in-final/">Borussia Dortmund</a> player has been unstoppable.</p>



<p>Bellingham may have switched roles at Madrid, but Southgate says his management of the club’s culture has been much more remarkable. Moreover, he drew parallels between the 20-year-old and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/united-eyes-david-beckham-for-key-role-if-qatar-bid-succeeds-20231011-WST-461506.html">David Beckham</a> and Steven Gerrard.</p>



<h2>What did Southgate say about star midfielder Jude Bellingham?</h2>



<p>One may argue that the Galactico period peaked with Beckham’s debut at the Santiago Bernabeu. As Southgate told <a href="https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Gareth-southgate-selectionneur-de-l-angleterre-jude-bellingham-me-rappelle-steven-gerrard/1467719" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">L’Equipe</a>, the 20-year-old may not have arrived with that weight on his shoulder, but he is working in the same environment.</p>



<p>“There has been a change in terms of his positioning on the pitch, as he occupies a different role in Madrid. Then, the conversations I had with him were about the fact that he now lives in a different world.</p>



<p>“He is still very young, he handles all this very well, but his life cannot be that of a 20-year-old who can go wherever he wants, do whatever he wants. I spent some time talking to him to get him to realize what that means. I played with David Beckham, who lived in a different world. This world is Jude’s today.”</p>



<h2>What did Beckham say?</h2>



<p>On the other hand, Beckham recently shared his admiration for Bellingham, saying that the player is exceptional both on and off the field. The midfielder won the league championship and, who knows, maybe even a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a> medal in his first season in Spain.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240517_WST_507254_Bellingham-Euro-2024-1200x670_5b293093.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-507304" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/05/Bellingham-Euro-2024-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/05/Bellingham-Euro-2024-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/05/Bellingham-Euro-2024-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/05/Bellingham-Euro-2024.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>“Obviously the season that Jude’s had, the talent that he is. But it’s not just the talent with Jude, it’s about the way he is, the way he handles himself, he’s a model pro that knows exactly what he needs to do.</p>



<p>“For someone that is so young to have the maturity that he has is incredible and I think him playing abroad has helped him with that. Now he’s obviously at Real Madrid where the expectations are higher than most other clubs around the world and he’s living up to those.</p>



<p>“It’s great to see his smile, it’s great to see the talent that he is and when he gets in that England shirt, we’ll all be very happy as well”, he told <a href="https://talksport.com/football/1861662/david-beckham-england-euro-2024-jude-bellingham/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">talkSPORT</a>.</p>



<p>In fact, over the past year, Bellingham has garnered a lot of acclaim for his attitude. Akin to how he interacted with England’s Harry Kane, the English coach lauded Jude for his capacity to blend in.</p>



<p>“He was aware of it. And he didn’t seem to suffer from it, but it wouldn’t be abnormal if he had difficulty processing it. Especially because his debut at Real was an incredible high. Then he got injured, at any rate, it wasn’t possible for him to maintain this level throughout the season.</p>



<p>“Jude reminds me of Steven Gerrard. Even when the opponent gives the impression of having control of the game, these are players capable of turning the game around. Through their mentality, they influence their teammates.”</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>

'Jude's world': Southgate compares Bellingham to English legend

England coach Gareth Southgate drew parallels between Jude Bellingham and country legend and ex-Real Madrid star, David Beckham.

<p>Inter Miami’s preseason world tour has come to an unexpected early end.</p>



<p>Inter Miami secured their first preseason victory, defeating Hong Kong 4-1, amidst a crowd of 40,000 fans’ boos. Despite the impressive scoreline, fans were disappointed as neither <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/pundit-makes-bold-claim-messi-should-replace-xavi-at-barcelona-20240201-WST-486690.html">Lionel Messi</a> nor <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/suarez-reveals-key-barcelona-regret-and-it-involves-messi-too-20240114-WST-483411.html">Luis Suarez</a> played in the game.</p>



<p>During the broadcast, MLS Season Pass announcers reported that the team is returning to the USA. </p>



<p>They also said that its next game will be against Newell’s Old Boys in Fort Lauderdale on February 15. Apple removed Inter Miami’s game against Vissel Kobe from its app, initially scheduled for Wednesday.</p>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-mls-on-us-tv-and-internet/">MLS</a> analyst Devon Kerr was asked about his final thoughts on Inter Miami’s preseason tour across the globe.</p>



<p>“What an amazing opportunity for Inter Miami, MLS and Apple to showcase this league and this team at such a great level on a global platform.” Those words seemed at odds with the chorus of <a href="https://twitter.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1754124404479373759" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">boos in the background</a>.</p>



<p>Robert Taylor put Miami ahead in Hong Kong just five minutes before halftime with a dipping strike from the corner of the penalty box. On the other hand, the hosts, coached by Jørn Andersen, were able to draw level via Henri Anier.</p>



<p>In the first moments of the second half, Miami took the lead again thanks to Lawson Sunderland. After 56 minutes, Leonardo Campana scored to make it 3-1. With only five minutes remaining on the clock, Miami’s Ryan Sailor headed in a field goal.</p>



<p>In Inter Miami’s five games of their preseason world tour, the win against Hong Kong was their first. The team was humiliated in a 6-0 loss to Al Nassr. Before that, they lost against Al-Hilal 4-3, lost 1-0 to Dallas and tied El Salvador 0-0.</p>



<h2>What did Hong Kong officials say?</h2>



<p>Lionel Messi’s absence from Inter Miami’s sold-out preseason tour game due to injury has drawn disapproval from the Hong Kong authorities.</p>



<p>“Regarding Messi not playing the match today, the government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed about the organisers’ arrangement. The organisers owe all football fans an explanation”, they said in a statement.</p>



<p>Due to a strained hamstring, the Argentinian did not participate in the match. However, boos erupted from the crowd in the latter minutes of the game and after the final whistle. Notably, they sold 38,000 tickets in the first hour of their December release.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">INTER MIAMI BOOED OFF THE FIELD IN CHINA 😡<br><br>The mood in Hong Kong turned sour after Messi didn&apos;t play in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InterMiamiCF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InterMiamiCF</a> friendly. 40,000 fans chanted "Refund refund refund" and "Where is Messi?" (who sat on the bench). Beckham also booed post-match.<a href="https://t.co/gjnbEfSRUr">pic.twitter.com/gjnbEfSRUr</a></p>— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1754124404479373759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2>What did Tata Martino say?</h2>



<p>Tata Martina, coach of Inter Miami, justified the choice. He said that they couldn’t risk starting either the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner or Luis Suarez, who had previously played for <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a>.</p>



<p>“We understand the fans’ disappointment in the absence of Messi and Suarez, and we apologize for that, but this was a decision made with our medical staff,” Martino said post-game after a sold-out crowd of 40,000 flocked to see the Herons.</p>



<p>“If there was a way they could have played even a little while we would have done it, but there was too much risk involved.”</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire</p>

Inter Miami ends preseason world tour early after Messi injury

Inter Miami secured their first preseason victory, defeating Hong Kong 4-1, amidst a crowd of 40,000 fans' boos.

Inter Miami ends preseason world tour early after Messi injury - World Soccer Talk

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Inter Miami ends preseason world tour early after Messi injury