Beginning of an era: Lionel Messi greets crowd as Inter Miami unveils their superstar

FORT LAUDERDALE — Thousands of fans filled DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday night and there wasn’t even an Inter Miami game being played.

And even despite a lengthy weather delay, international soccer superstar Lionel Messi and his former FC Barcelona teammate and new Inter Miami signee Sergio Busquets were still formally introduced in a monumental moment for American soccer.

“We’re doing this Miami-style in the rain,” Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said. “This is holy water.”

Security abandon their post as the worst of the weather came in. Supporters breached the gates and passed security with no one on hand. This may be a problem. #Messi? pic.twitter.com/dG3gNy8J04

— Magic City Soccer (@MagicCitySoccer) July 16, 2023

Co-owners David Beckham and Jorge and Jose Mas first welcomed Busquets to the stage and presented him with a pink No. 5 Inter Miami jersey.

“I’m very happy to be here in Miami,” Busquets said, who was also celebrating his 35th birthday.

Then, Messi was introduced with an even more spectacular display of fireworks and “Messi” chants from the crowd. A welcome video was displayed on the stadium scoreboard with celebrities such as Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Marc Anthony and DJ Khaled sharing their well-wishes.

“Please forgive me if I’m feeling a little bit emotional tonight,” Beckham said. “It really is a dream come true to welcome Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.”

Messi and his family were only on the stage for about 10 minutes. They didn’t go all the way out to the center circle to avoid the slippery surface, but the Argentine icon did also receive his new No. 10 Inter Miami jersey.

“I am very happy to have chosen this city with my family, to have chosen this project,” Messi said in a translation from Spanish to English. “I have no doubt that we are going to have a good time.”

Thunder, lightning and torrential rain rolled through Fort Lauderdale shortly before 6 p.m. and didn’t let up until around 7:30.

Fans who had entered the stadium took cover under the bleachers, while those hanging out at the plaza or tailgating in the parking lot raced back to their cars. Others who were caught at the stadium gates rushed into the stadium without going through security or having their tickets scanned.

“The Unveil” was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with a live performance from musical artists Camilo, Ozuna, Tiago PZK and Paulo Londra. Then, Messi and Busquets were supposed to be introduced at 8:30 p.m.

Instead, the show began around 8:30 p.m. with a light show, even as rain continued to fall throughout the night. The concert was flipped to the end, and the event jumped straight to the star’s introductions.

Meanwhile, Messi watched his kids play soccer on his new home pitch while the concert went on.

#Messi is on the field playing soccer with his kids during the concert #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/fLNCA0MHJ8

— Sam Sklar (@sklarsam_) July 17, 2023

The night marks the beginning of a new era for American soccer with one of soccer’s best now a member of Inter Miami.

Messi and Busquets will be available to make their debuts Friday night at DRV PNK Stadium for the opening of the Leagues Cup.

But on the big picture, the pre-Messi era of American soccer is now in the past.