David Beckham heavily praised Inter Miami star Lionel Messi on Wednesday night during a late-night talk show appearance with Jimmy Kimmel.
Beckham is one of three Inter Miami co-owners, and he detailed the origins of planning to bring Messi to America and how the Argentine legend’s experience relates to his debut in Major League Soccer.
As part of his love for Messi was stating how the World Cup winner was the ‘perfect’ soccer player and his pick for the greatest of all time.
Beckham also recognizes the cultural phenomenon Messi is and how he has already changed soccer in America.
‘It’s just that effect that Leo has on the game and the world,’ Beckham said to Kimmel. ‘One of the reasons we wanted to bring him to America was to inspire the next generation. That was my plan.’
Beckham talked Messi and the Argentine’s arrival in Miami, compared to his time in LA
Beckham always had a plan to bring Messi to America and play for Inter Miami that worked out
‘I obviously wanted to bring him for the player he is and the person he is,’ Beckham continued. ‘I played against him numerous times, actually twice thankfully, but I’ve been a fan of him and watched him for many years. And I always had the plan to bring the greatest player to ever play the game in my opinion to our team. Luckily, it happened.’
Kimmel pressed Beckham about his claim that Messi is the greatest soccer player ever, but the late-night host admitted the former Los Angeles Galaxy and Manchester United star has an opinion that holds more weight than others.
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‘I think everyone’s got their own opinions, there’s a lot of great players to have played the game over the years. But in my opinion, he’s the perfect player’ Beckham stated.
Messi joined the MLS last summer, 16 years after Beckham made the jump from Real Madrid.
Beckham made a similar move from the European leagues to Major League Soccer in 2017
‘I could actually come at at him with my experience of moving to America and coming to a league that wasn’t as established like it is now,’ Beckham said about Messi. ‘There was only 13 teams in the league, now there’s almost 30. It’s in a different position than what it is when I first came.’
‘He’s always loved Miami,’ Beckham continued. ‘He always loved the idea of the project of bringing the game even bigger in this country and when you bring someone like that to America, people notice. It’s been very special.’
Kimmel knows the Messi craze all too well. His 7-year-old son, Billy Kimmel, was seen wearing a full Inter Miami kit during a recent video on his dad’s show despite Billy knowing little about the sport, Jimmy insisted.
Messi’s move to America comes directly before the United States hosts this summer’s Copa America, next year’s FIFA Club World Cup, and is a co-host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Inter Miami has already won a trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, since Messi’s arrival, and also played in last season’s US Open Cup Final, losing to Houston with Messi out of the lineup due to injury.
This year, Miami currently leads the MLS in points with 24 after this weekend’s games.
