Beckham initially paved the way for an influx of top players to MLS when he joined the LA Galaxy after leaving Real Madrid in 2007. It was written into Beckham’s contract that he could purchase a franchise for just $25 million, and he exercised that option in 2014 to create Inter Miami.

It was the former England international who shined a spotlight on the potential of soccer in the United States and MLS as a global brand. And the early signs certainly indicate that Messi is capable of fully realising it.

The World Cup winner’s unveiling at DRV PNK Stadium was a glitzy affair that saw 21,000 people pack in to watch him being presented with his new No.10 shirt. The event was delayed by a thunderstorm, with Miami chief Mas describing the downpour as “holy water” when eventually accompanying Messi to his specially made stage in the middle of the pitch alongside his brother Jose and Beckham.

Messi’s delight was written all over his face and he warmly embraced Beckham, who was visibly emotional when addressing the crowd. “It’s a dream come true,” he said. “Leo, we are so proud that you have chosen our club for the next stage in your career.”

Miami would later release images of Messi’s official contract signing in the club’s offices, with Beckham watching on next to him like a proud father. The Manchester United legend enjoyed a stellar playing career himself, but seems to be getting just as much joy out of seeing his vision for Miami come to fruition after so many years of hard work.

Beckham said in a recent interview with The Athletic: “I never thought I would have the same feeling as an owner as I had when I was a player. When I got the phone call [to say Messi had chosen Miami], I had the feeling I had when I walked out at Old Trafford or Wembley. I was like, ‘We’ve just beaten all competition to sign the greatest player to ever play our game’.”

In the same interview, Beckham also revealed that Messi was in his thoughts right from the beginning of his journey in Miami. “It all came from a conversation over a glass of wine at dinner,” he said. ” I turn to Jorge and say, ‘One day, we need Messi to come to our club’. It was probably when we first met. I actually found on my phone the other day one of the first presentations that (advertising agency) Doubleday & Cartwright did — they mocked up one of the jerseys with the logo on and Leo was wearing it. That was 10 years ago.

“So it was always in my mind. I suppose every owner of a sports franchise thinks, ‘We want to bring the best players to our club’. Does it happen for everyone? Of course not. But we were sat at dinner and we were like, ‘OK, if we could bring Leo for our market, for our fans, for this part of the world, there’s no one better’.”

Even before Inter Miami had played their first MLS game, Messi was on the agenda. In September 2019, Beckham and Mas travelled to Barcelona for a meeting that would pave the way for Messi’s eventual arrival in the U.S.

“We got on a plane and flew to Barcelona from London secretly,” said Beckham. “We snuck into a hotel, met Jorge Messi (Lionel’s father and also his agent) and started the conversation. It purely went, ‘We would love your son to play for our team one day. We know he can’t come yet, but one day we would love to have Leo in Miami’.

“Then obviously Jorge (Mas) did an incredible job creating a narrative around what he could do for the sport in this country, what he could do for MLS and what he could do for Inter Miami.”

Inter Miami earmarked a July 21 date against Cruz Azul for Messi debut long before he touched down in the U.S., and Beckham played his part in drumming up anticipation for the game. “We don’t know if Leo is going to play the game or if he will have minutes, because I think that, after all, he needs to be ready,” the Englishman said to ESPN Argentina. “We have to protect him and make sure that he is ready, because he has been on vacation and has just arrived in Miami.”

New Miami boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, who previously worked with Messi during spells in charge of Barcelona and Argentina, ended up introducing Messi as a 54th-minute substitute – but it felt like a pre-planned move designed to invite a rapturous ovation from the capacity crowd.

It certainly had the desired effect anyway, and Messi got himself straight into the thick of the action with the home fans willing him to produce a moment of magic whenever he got on the ball. Despite Messi’s best efforts, Cruz Azul managed to keep Miami at bay and the game looked destined for a draw – until the 36-year-old won a free-kick on the edge of the box in stoppage-time.

Messi is well past his prime now, but he remains peerless when it comes to dead-ball execution, and he showed it again with the whole world watching, curling a beautiful effort into the top left-hand corner of the net.

A number of celebrity figures in the stands rose to their feet in awe, including tennis legend Serena Williams, but it was Beckham’s reaction that really caught the eye. After sharing a hug with his wife Victoria, Beckham was seen with tears in eyes, and he had to take a deep breath to compose himself.

“As soon as I saw the free-kick given I thought this is the way it’s meant to end,” the 48-year-old told reporters after the game. “It’s so exciting tonight for our fans. All of these people that have come down here to see Leo just step on the pitch, let alone just do what he’s done. It’s a dream come true for everybody in this stadium and everybody around this country to see Leo step into the MLS and perform, and I don’t have many words for that.”

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.”

Anthony Hopkins’ line reading as Odin holding Mjolnir in the 2011 blockbuster ‘Thor’ is iconic to a certain generation of Marvel fans, not least because it set up one of the most famous scenes in the entire franchise.

When audiences saw Captain America catch Mjolnir in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ for the first time some eight years later, they cried tears of joy and cheered in unison, as it was finally proven that the power of the hammer did not belong exclusively to Thor.

Messi’s eldest son, Thiago, just so happens to be a Marvel fanatic, and his favourite character is the God of Thunder. Miami boss Martino handed Messi his first start for the club against Atlanta United on July 26, and after breaking the deadlock just eight minutes in, the diminutive forward pulled out a Thor-inspired celebration for Thiago and his other two sons, Ciro and Mateo, as they sat pitchside.

If ever there was a footballer worthy of Thor’s hammer, it’s Messi, and his gesture to summon Mjolnir aptly captured the magic of his immediate impact at DRV PNK Stadium. There was, however, some initial confusion over the meaning of the celebration.

Beckham was sitting close to Messi’s family and also had a huge smile on his face as the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner raised his hand. It was suggested on social media that Messi was simulating a ‘hold my beer’ signal for Beckham, as a tongue-in-cheek way of acknowledging his own brilliance.

However, Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, later took to social media to set the record straight. She posted an image of Messi performing the celebration with an emoji of Mjolnir and the amusing caption “Thorsday”.

So as it turns out, Messi and Beckham did not have their own private celebration organized ahead of time. But the Miami chief reacted with the same child-like exuberance as Messi’s sons, which just goes to show how much he has grown to love MLS’ new poster boy.

Messi already looks more settled in Miami than he ever did at PSG. And Beckham also deserves a lot of credit for that, having done everything possible to make sure he feels at home – including helping to finish off a huge mural in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.

Victoria has also made a huge effort to welcome Messi and his family, and was seen embracing Antonela in the stands at DRV PNK Stadium during the games against Cruz Azul and Atlanta. Posh Spice is now very much back in the public eye, and appears to be savouring every moment.

But the bond between the two families is no act – as evidenced by the fact that they are now being spotted together during their downtime. Messi, Antonela, David and Victoria were seen taking in a dinner date at the Japanese-inspired steakhouse Gekko over the weekend, alongside Sergio Busquets and his girlfriend Elena Galera, and Jorge Mas and his wife Aleyda.

Messi, Victoria and David all shared photos from the night, which showed just how close the Miami contingent has become in such a short space of time. After a difficult few years away from the pitch, Messi is now in the perfect place, and with the perfect people, to enjoy his football and private life to the maximum with no complications.

It was a surprise when the world’s best player decided to turn his back on the European game and head across the Atlantic, but now everyone can see why he made the move. And with Beckham serving as a friend and mentor every step of the way, Inter Miami fans can expect plenty more match-winning performances from their happy new hero.

Messi has had to deal with critics insisting that he took the easy route by joining Miami, but one quick look at the Eastern Conference table is enough to silence those claims. Martino’s side are rock bottom of the table after 22 games, and it will take a miracle for them to reach the MLS playoffs. But Miami supporters will be dreaming of that scenario after Messi’s stunning bow in the land of soccer. The Argentina international is not in the U.S. to start winding his career down, as his first two performances in the pink of Miami have proven.

Beckham is adamant that Messi shares his passion for the project at DRV PNK Stadium, and they are now working towards the same goal of transforming Miami into a genuine MLS powerhouse. “There were an incredible amount of people that did incredible jobs to bring me to LA when the league was struggling, but they had the vision and commitment,” Beckham added in his sit-down with The Athletic. “I think Leo had seen that and thought, ‘OK, this is an opportunity’. He also saw that this is a long-term project.

“If we lost our first two games with Leo, I’m not worried about that. I want to win. Leo wants to win. Jose and Jorge (Mas) want us to win. But more importantly, this is a long-term project. That’s how I’ve always seen it. It’s how Leo sees it.”

Messi could have pushed for a return to Barcelona or a move to another top European league, but he would have been treading over the same ground. By heading to MLS, he now has the opportunity to inspire a whole new legion of fans and budding young players while adding another unique layer to his legacy.

“Leo has now won everything you can as a player. The World Cup must have been the icing on the cake,” Beckham continued. “He saw this as a project, a legacy and I don’t think many players see that. They see the opportunity to play in different places, but Leo saw he could not just change the face of football in this country, he could inspire the next generation and there’s no better way of doing that than by walking on our pitch in Miami and having all of the kids talking about him, watching and learning. He’s also about making this game bigger and better in this country — he could do that, he will do that and he already has done that. It’s not just the whole of Miami talking about Leo, it’s the whole of America, the whole world.”

The partnership between Messi and Beckham will be a defining one for MLS and soccer in general. Mas claimed MLS can become one of the top two leagues in the world after clinching the deal for Messi, and that doesn’t feel farfetched anymore.

Driven by a superstar bromance that has captured the imagination of an entire country overnight, the sky is the limit for Miami – and you won’t want to miss a single second.