The official schedule for “La PresentaSÍon” promised that the action would start around 6:30 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale. They got that right. It should take place in midfield. Instead, it happened in the sky above DRV PNK Stadium: a flash of light and then a bang that shook the foundations of this makeshift site.
At least Inter Miami can always say that the era of Lionel Messi started with a bang. It’s just a shame that for a while the fireworks and celebrations fell victim to thunder and lightning, black clouds and swirling rain.
Record temperatures have prevailed here in the last few days and the mood around Inter Miami is also in high gear. For most of Sunday night, however, the centerline stage was aglow not with football’s biggest star but with the debris of a tropical storm that threatened to blanket the largest parade in MLS history with rain.
Shame on the poor staff whose job it was to wipe the runway even if the sky stayed open. But finally, at around 8:30 p.m., it was getting dark again in that stadium and the South Florida skies brightened and crackled again. Luckily these fireworks were part of the show.
It was still raining in Fort Lauderdale, but the stands were packed and the first “Messi, Messi” chants began to be heard.
Lionel Messi delivered an emotional speech on Sunday when he was unveiled as an Inter Miami player
Messi was introduced to Inter Miami fans alongside co-owner David Beckham (right).
Beckham almost slipped stepping onto the rain-soaked platform
They had been waiting for this evening for six weeks since the World Cup winner announced his move to Florida.
When it finally started, they had to wait a little longer. They had to wait for co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas to shuffle across the wet platform – Beckham was dangerously close to slipping – and do their part. They had to wait for their new teammate Sergio Busquets to get the briefest revelation.
But finally, just before 9 p.m., Messi – according to Mas, “Your No. 10, Miami’s No. 10, America’s No. 10” – emerged. The decibels rose, the fireworks rose. There came the new pink kit that read “Messi: 10”.
A few minutes later he was gone, flanked by his family. It was short, but for the fans who braved the elements, how cute. The hope for Inter Miami and Major League Soccer is that Sunday night will mark the beginning of a marriage that will forever change sports in the United States.
All captured in beautiful high definition too. Apple and Major League Soccer have announced special measures for Inter Miami with Messi in town. The club’s matches will feature ‘enhanced’ TV production, including 18 cameras, Skycam and a drone.
This new era began on Sunday night when Skycam showed “unique angles on Messi’s revelation”. For a short time it seemed they were only providing enhanced footage of a flood. Luckily the event survived.
Next step for Messi? Training on Tuesday and then his debut, scheduled here on Friday against Cruz Azul. So you can forgive the stereotypes and the fear of Beckham and Mas. This was a daring deal with roots stretching back to 2019. “Tonight, that dream will come true,” Mas said.
Just hours after that move became official, however, came the final, stark reminder of the reality Messi will face if all that glitz and glory eventually gives way to football. St. Louis beat Inter Miami 3-0 on Saturday night.
Messi thanked Beckham and said the Miami owners “made everything easy” for him.
But the unveiling was delayed after a violent storm battered DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale
At some point, the weather around the stadium threatened to jeopardize the evening schedule
It was Tata Martino’s first game as manager. Her winning streak is now 11 games; They have the fewest points of all 29 MLS teams. They need a small miracle to reach the playoffs. Your squad needed reinforcements. Time will tell how much magic is still in this 36-year-old body.
It can’t hurt that Messi will be surrounded by familiar faces. On Sunday, Inter Miami confirmed the signing of former Barcelona teammate Busquets. Jordi Alba is expected to join them. Busquets’ move was announced just before 4pm.
At this point, the fans had already been gathering for several hours in front of the DRV-PNK stadium. They were scattered across the floor; Many set up camp in the shade. With the sun beating down and the clocks ticking towards evening, fans painted a tapestry of Messi’s life and times.
There were Inter Miami jerseys and bucket hats dedicated to their new number 10. There were Argentinian shirts – both rugby and football – but also the colors of Barcelona and even Newell’s Old Boys, the fabled Argentina team that Messi once called home. A fan walking through the fan zone wore a black t-shirt with only one image on it: a goat.
Under the palm trees nearby, the fans enjoyed playing soccer. At 4pm the parking lot across the street was full of noise, food and colour. The riot had begun, and soon the fireworks began as well.
Fort Lauderdale was boiling. And then the gods took over. Soon the only flashes and pops had been sent down from the sky. The sky above the DRV PNK Stadion was already beginning to darken when the first warnings rang out from the loudspeakers.
Supporters in Florida were forced to seek shelter from the wind and torrential rain on Sunday
Fireworks light up the Fort Lauderdale skies as Messi is unveiled as an Inter Miami player
Earlier in the evening, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets was introduced
Supporters have been warned to leave the stands and take shelter. The Blitz was coming and there were delays. Downstairs, the stage, the lights, the smoke machines, the TVs – everything was covered with tarps and prepared for the storm.
Around 6 p.m., half an hour before the start of the entertainment, rain and wind started. They were a brutal combination. Supporters took refuge on stairs and corridors. The ponchos were torn from their backs, and the sets on the field were badly damaged.
Meanwhile, chaos was also brewing outside the stadium. Soaked fans breached at least one security gate and poured inside, over the turnstiles and under cover. It just kept going.
This corner of South Florida was still soaked from the rain when the show started and the booths began to fill up again.
Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi’s wife, pictured taking the field in Miami
Also present was Victoria Beckham (right) on a proud evening for husband David
Keywords are quirky scenes in the center circle where DJs and dancers danced across the stage while the crew mopped up water around them. They had scheduled around two hours of music and entertainment before Messi showed up.
Fortunately, the delays resulted in the schedule being reversed. Storms are part of life here. In fact, it has been suggested that Messi enjoyed a dignified start to life in South Florida, shopping at Publix and then seeing his best plans shattered by a downpour.
Late Sunday night, with the music still blaring, he re-entered the pitch, waving to fans and watching his children play a ball. It will be his turn soon.