Unofficially, July 21 has been set aside for Lionel Messi’s MLS debut. The sporting director of the team has since stated that it cannot be confirmed.
Lionel Messi’s debut game for Inter Miami is still scheduled on July 21, although the club stopped short of guaranteeing that date on Thursday.
The paperwork for Messi and his new coach, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, is still being finalized, according to Sporting Director Chris Henderson. Messi is anticipated to join with the squad sometime in early July, and there are preparations for an introductory ceremony on July 16. Martino was announced by the team on Wednesday, but he cannot start coaching until his visa application is successful.
“With regard to Leo, the terms are agreed but we are working on the paperwork with Major League Soccer so those are going to take time to finish,” Henderson said. “But we hope that there is a time in mid-late July that he’s ready to go, but that’s just going to be up to how he finishes all the paperwork.”
Lionel Messi’s tentative debut tickets going for as much as $10k
In anticipation of Messi making his club debut on July 21, some tickets for the Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul on the 21st are selling for more than $10,000 each on secondary markets. He declared his intention to join the MLS earlier this month.
After spending two years with Paris Saint-Germain, the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, which is awarded yearly to the world’s finest player, made the decision to join MLS. Messi, who recently turned 36, led Argentina to the World Cup triumph in December, completing the one important unchecked box on his CV.
He is expected to make between $50 million and $60 million annually with Inter Miami, the club confirmed last week.
SOURCE: Ghnewslive.com
