Topics: Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, MLS, Argentina
Inter Miami have made room for the marquee arrival of Lionel Messi by terminating the contract of one of their designated players.
After leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, Messi has arrived in South Florida and will be officially unveiled as an Inter player at a special event held at the club's DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday.
It's set to be a sold-out crowd as fans flock to see the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner in the flesh, with season ticket holders receiving free entry for a spectacle where both Shakira and Bad Bunny are expected to perform.
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Messi, who will play under compatriot Gerardo Martino for the second time, is set to make his debut against Mexican side Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on July 21.
But in order to accommodate the Argentina captain and talisman, David Beckham's franchise have had to offload one of the first major signings they made.
Mexican Rodolfo Pizarro joined the Herons in February 2020 and became their second Designated Player, before going on to make 62 appearances.
However, the former Monterrey and Guadalajara midfielder's deal has been ripped up so that Messi can join as a DP - with MLS rules stipulating there are only three places for players above the salary threshold.
Pizarro, along with captain Gregore and Leonardo Campana, had been the trio of DPs in Vice City.
According to Manuel Veth of TransferMarkt, the 29-year-old will now be heading to Greek side AEK Athens.
The Mexico international spent time back on loan at Monterrey but played 15 times for Inter last term. He was critical of the MLS DP rules, stating: "I do think it’s hard, I have a contract. I didn’t know I could be traded anyways. It’s a bit strange. I think it’s the only league in the world that does this."
Messi is expected to make £120 million per year at Inter and could rake in revenue shares from both Adidas and Apple.
He will be joined by former Barca colleagues Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Inter.
