MIAMI — Lionel Messi received the key to the city of Miami from Mayor Francis Suarez on Wednesday night after speaking at the America Business Forum at Kaseya Center.
“I have had the wish to give this [key] to you for all that you’ve done for our grand city, our country and the world of football, thank you,” Suarez said.
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Messi joined Inter Miami on July 15, 2023, immediately making history with the club when lifting its first trophy with the inaugural Leagues Cup win days after his debut.
Since then, Messi has inspired Inter Miami to the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and set the record for most points in a single MLS campaign.
“I want to share and say something about our Inter Miami captain, our number 10,” Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said. “This is a small gift from this city, which has captured the hearts of all of us.
“This is a welcome not only for you but also for wife Antonela and your beautiful family, so that you can always feel at home here.”
Lionel Messi, flanked by Ignacio Gonzalez Castro — founder and chief executive officer of the America Business Forum — left, and Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami, right, holds the key to the city of Miami. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Individually, Messi clinched the 2024 MLS MVP and the 2025 Golden Boot and stands as a finalist for the 2025 MLS MVP.
Though Messi’s original contract with the club expires at the end of the 2025 campaign, the 38-year-old recently signed a three-year deal to remain in South Florida through the 2028 MLS season.
“Thank you, I feel very honored by this,” Messi said. “It’s true that, as I just said, we feel very loved, very grateful, very happy to be living in this city, and to be able to have this distinction for me is a great honor, so thank you.”
The Inter Miami captain previously spoke about his difficult exit from Barcelona, explaining the difficulty in transitioning from life in Spain to France with Paris Saint-Germain before making the move to MLS.
“Well, the truth is that the first time we moved to Paris was tough because we’d lived our whole lives in Barcelona,” he said. “We were very happy there — family, the kids, we had everything. We grew up there.
“Imagine, I left when I was 13; that’s my whole life. My wife arrived in the city for the first time when she was 20 or 21. And well, it’s never easy to adjust and adapt. But the truth is, we settled in well, the kids too, in their daily lives, just like my wife.
“But, as I’ve said several times, I wasn’t having a good time in terms of football and day-to-day life. I wasn’t enjoying myself for a lot of reasons, partly because everything was new to me, very different from what I was used to.”
Following a two-year stint with PSG, Messi announced his shocking move to Inter Miami.
“It was a family decision; we decided to pursue my professional career in Miami,” Messi added. “I think that means a lot — choosing where you want to be and being able to do it makes things so much easier.
“And after I arrived in Miami, it was spectacular. Living in this city for the first time is incredible. And then there’s the way everyone has been since day one. The first day was amazing, and today is just another example of the welcome I feel.”
Messi spoke on the same day that Inter Miami announced that its new stadium near Miami International Airport is reaching a major construction milestone with the final beams for the stadium canopy being raised.
“I’m happy in this place, so I’m very happy to continue,” he said. “I’m really anxious, really looking forward to it being finished, to be able to play here.”
Inter Miami is preparing to play the final game of the best-of-three Round 1 playoff series against Nashville SC on Saturday night at its current Fort Lauderdale home of Chase Stadium.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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