David Beckham Reveals How Sir Alex Ferguson Helped Bring Lionel Messi to Inter Miami
Former Manchester United and England star David Beckham has lifted the lid on how Sir Alex Ferguson played a crucial part in bringing Lionel Messi to Inter Miami. In an exclusive interview with Rio Ferdinand on his podcast, Beckham shared the story of how Ferguson’s advice helped secure the Argentine’s move to the MLS side.
Beckham co-founded Inter Miami in 2018 with American billionaire businessman Jorge Mas. As president, he has been instrumental in the team’s success, including toping the Eastern Conference standings. The team’s latest achievement is a victory in the MLS Cup final against either LA Galaxy or LAFC next month.
Miami’s success on the pitch has been attributed to Beckham’s shrewd signings, including ex-Barcelona stars Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, and World Cup winner Messi. The latter is still going strong at 37, with 19 goals in 21 games this year.
So, how did Ferguson, the legendary Manchester United manager, get involved in the process of bringing Messi to Miami? According to Beckham, it was Ferguson who provided the advice that swung the deal.
"One of the things I learned from the boss over the years is it’s not about bringing the biggest and best players," Beckham said. "It’s about bringing the right players… If you can bring the biggest and best players, that’s the right player, but with Leo, what we knew we were bringing was not just a great player on the field but also off the field."
Ferguson’s advice, Beckham suggested, was to focus on building a team with a strong bond and a clear vision, rather than just assembling a collection of stars. "If you can bring the right players, that’s what you get. And that’s what we did with Leo."
Beckham also praised Inter Miami’s new owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, for his vision and passion for the club. "I think he’s a fan and obviously a great businessman… and I think the fans see that he cares," Beckham said. "He wants to create something special and I think he’s got the right vision for it."
Finally, Beckham gave a shoutout to England’s free-kick expert Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose range and vision on the pitch reminded him of his own playing days. "When I look at a player and I think, ‘he’s very similar in the way he delivers the ball, he’s very similar in the way he crosses the ball or passes,’ it has to be Trent. He’s an unbelievable player, his vision, he’s unbelievable."
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