MIAMI: Lionel Messi’s next club, Inter Miami, announced Friday it will hold a presentation event, called ‘The Unveil’, on July 16 at its home stadium.

Argentine seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi said last month that he was moving to the Major League Soccer club after allowing his contract at Paris Saint-Germain to run out.

“The major unveiling event will include exciting entertainment, speeches on the pitch and more,” the club said in a press release, which did not mention Messi by name.

Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina in December, is expected to be joined at Miami by his former Barcelona teammate and ex-Spain international midfielder Sergio Busquets and the pair could be presented together.

The club recently appointed former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino to take charge of the team.

Messi is expected to make his debut on July 21 against Mexican club Cruz Azul in the new Leagues Cup — a tournament between top flight clubs from MLS and the Mexican league.

Inter Miami majority owner Jorge Mas has said the club could make “three to five signings” during the current transfer window.

Inter Miami is at the bottom in MLS’ Eastern Conference and ranked 28th of 29 clubs in the league.

Martino said, upon his appointment, that he had spoken to Messi and Busquets about their impending move to the MLS club.

“Sometimes in our world you associate United States and Miami with holidays. And it’s not that. They are coming to compete.

“They are coming from winning world titles, Spanish league titles. They are not going to relax. They will compete because it is in their blood,” he said.

“The Unveil” will be conducted at the club’s DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami.

Former England and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham, a co-owner of the club, is also likely to appear at the event.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2023