Messi might struggle at Inter Miami - David Beckham
Carlo Garganese
- 19 Jul 2023 11:35 BST
- 3 min read
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham says that Lionel Messi may struggle at first in Major League Soccer while he adapts to his new club.
Messi signed for Inter Miami on a free transfer this summer, turning down a return to Barcelona as well as a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.
The Argentine legend will make his debut for the MLS side on Friday at the DRV PNK Stadium in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul.
READ MORE: Lionel Messi at Inter Miami: Goals, assists, results & fixtures in 2023
And ahead of the much-awaited match, Beckham has looked to calm expectations surrounding Messi by stressing that he will need time to settle in just like any footballer at a new club.
What did Beckham say?
“Leo’s still going to need, no matter how good he is, no matter what his stature is, he and Sergio [Busquets] are going to need time to adapt no matter what,” Beckham said.
READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
“They might surprise us, we might start winning every single game, but we have to be patient.
“When I came [to LA Galaxy in 2007], all of a sudden, everyone thought: ‘LA are going to win everything. LA are going to win every game, 7-0, 8-0, and that’s it, nobody else is gonna win anything’.
“It’s a different style of football, it’s a slightly different level to what obviously some of the players that are coming in are used to.
“But at the end of the day, this level of football in this country now is a good level, it’s a great level, so there are going to be moments where we have to be patient.”
Beckham isn’t the only Man Utd legend who has warned Messi about the improved level of football in MLS.
D.C United manager Wayne Rooney also stated earlier this week that Messi won’t find it easy in the United States.
“He won’t find it easy here. It sounds mad, but players who come in find it’s a tough league,” Rooney said.
“The travelling, the different conditions in different cities, and there’s a lot of energy and intensity on the pitch.”
