It could’ve been the transfer saga of the summer, but Lionel Messi put paid to any nonsense by quickly nailing his colours to the Inter Miami mast once PSG’s 2022/23 season was over.
Although the Argentinian had expressed that his preference was to return to Barcelona, the Catalan club’s continued problems with Financial Fair Play ensured that such a move was never really close to becoming a reality.
That left Messi with the option of taking the evident riches on offer in the Saudi Pro League, joining former Real Madrid nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the process or moving to MLS.
In the end, the player chose the latter option, denying fans a renewing of the rivalry that lit up the Spanish top-flight for many, many years.
Once the news was made public, the next step was to find out exactly when the diminutive number 10 was going to make his debut.
On Tuesday, June 20, that information was made available by managing owner, Jorge Mas.
On July 21, Inter Miami will play Mexico’s Cruz Azul in their Leagues Cup, Mas told the Miami Herald (h/t Reuters).
It’s a match that is sure to see the stands full to bursting and the eyes of the world’s media upon it.