Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami teammates: Who plays for David Beckham’s MLS club?

LIONEL MESSI has joined Inter Miami FC following the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The US club, part owned by David Beckham, confirmed they had landed the football legend in a video posted to Twitter in June 2023.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has joined US club Inter MiamiArturo Jimenez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

When does Lionel Messi debut for Inter Miami?

Messi’s Inter Miami debut is scheduled for Friday, July 21, during the opening match of the Leagues Cup.

Ahead of the Major League Soccer (MLS) match it was reported that some fans had paid more than $1,200 (£933) for a ticket.

The player is getting $60million (£47m) a year to play for Inter Miami after rejecting an even more lucrative offer to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.

Who plays for Inter Miami?

Leonardo Campana

Campana is the son of former tennis player Pedro Campana, who represented Ecuador in the 1966 Olympics.

He signed for the Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, before being loaned to Famalicão and Swiss Super League side Grasshopper.

Campana joined Inter Miami on loan in January 2022 and then signed permanently with the team in 2023.

Josef Martinez

Martinez, from Venezuela, began his career in Caracas FC.

He was then sold to Italian club Torino in 2014.

Martinez joined Inter Miami in January 2023 from Atlanta United, replacing the retired Gonzalo Higuain.

As of 2023, Martinez is the 10th all-time MLS goalscorer.

Nicolas Stefanelli

Forward Stefanelli joined Inter Miami at the start of the season.

Since 2019 he has played in Cyprus, Chile and Sweden.

Shanyder Borgelin

Striker Borgelin is from Haiti and was born in Florida.

He made his MLS debut in 2023.

Robbie Robinson

Robinson was the top pick in the 2020 MLS draft.

He played college football at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Dixon Arroyo

Defensive midfielder Arroyo, from Ecuador, joined Inter Miami in 2023.

He joined as a replacement for the injured Brazilian Gregore.

Benjamin Cremaschi

Miami native Cremaschi comes from a sporting family.

His father Pablo played international rugby union for Argentina.

David Ruiz

Ruiz represented Honduras in the Under-20 World Cup, but has also been named in US youth squads.

He became a member of Inter Miami’s senior squad in April 2023.

Robert Taylor

Taylor was a player for Nottingham Forest and Lincoln City when he was younger.

His father, Paul, was also a footballer and played in Finland in the 1990s.

Lawson Sunderland

Sunderland made his debut for Inter Miami in 2023 but joined the club in 2022.

Edison Azcona

In 2021, Azcona became the first Inter Miami academy product to play for the first team.

In July 2022, he was loaned to El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship.

Victor Ulloa

Defensive midfielder Ulloa is eligible to play for Mexico and the United States.

He has played 250 times in the US top flight for Dallas, Cincinnati and Inter Miami.

Drake Callender

Goalkeeper Callender joined Inter Miami before their first season in 2020.

He is from Sacramento, California.

Sergii Kryvtsov

Ukrainian centre-back Kryvtsov joined Inter Miami in January 2023.

He played for Shakhtar Donetsk in his homeland for over a decade, before fleeing Ukraine due to the war.

DeAndre Yedlin

Yedlin played for Premier League teams Newcastle, Tottenham and Sunderland.

He then joined Inter Miami in February 2022.

Christopher McVey

Before joining Inter Miami in 2022, McVey had spent his career with Elfsborg in his homeland of Sweden.

He plays as a right back.

Kamal Miller

Miller joined Inter Miami shortly before Messi, in April 2023.

He previously played for another MLS team – Montreal.

Harvey Neville

Neville, son of Phil Neville, was previously on the books of Manchester United and Valencia.

He has also has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-19 level.

Ian Fray

Fray plays as a defender for Inter Miami.

He was named in Jamaica‘s 50-man provisional squad for the 2023 Gold Cup, but did not make the final squad.

Noah Allen

Allen is a US Under-20s international.

He joined Inter Miami in March 2022.

Ryan Sailor

Defender Sailor used to play for the University of Washington Huskies.

He signed with Inter Miami in February 2022.

Israel Boatwright

Right-back Boatwright is from the Dominican Republic.

What has David Beckham said about Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami?

Inter Miami co-owner Beckham described Messi’s arrival at the team as a “dream come true”.

“Leo, we are so proud that you have chosen our club for the next stage in your career,” he said at the time of the player’s signing.

Beckham said in a later statement: “Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamed of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city.

“Players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much.

“Today, that dream came true. I couldn’t be prouder that a player of Leo’s caliber is joining our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person, and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community.”

He added: “The next phase of our adventure starts here, and I can’t wait to see Leo take to the pitch.”