new signature Throngs of fans cheered when Lionel Messi was formally introduced at Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium.
A 20,000-person capacity audience endured rain and lightning as they waited to watch the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner get a number 10 jersey.
Messi, 36, thanked his fans and expressed his “same desire” as always in a brief speech in Spanish.
The World Cup-winning attacker from Argentina has signed a contract with the Major League Soccer (MLS) team till the end of 2025.
He will be reunited with defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets – with whom he played at Barcelona – who has also signed for Miami until 2025.
Busquets, too, was formally unveiled during Sunday night’s event.
Messi entered the pitch via a huge catwalk and was introduced as “America’s number 10, the world’s best number 10”.
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry also welcomed him to the United States in video messages.
“I really want to start training, to compete,” Messi said. “I have the same desire that I always had to compete, to want to win, to help the club continue to grow.
“I am very happy to have chosen to come to play in this city with my family, to choose this project and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it a lot.
“We are going to have a good time and very good things are going to happen.”
