The star from Rosario revolutionizes the United States with his talent. Photo: USA TODAY Sports
Lionel Messi has already broken the United States soccer statistics by becoming the first player in history to take less time to score his first five goals within a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. With his double against Orlando City and the five goals accumulated since his arrival at Inter Miami, Leo reached the top of the table of top scorers in the Leagues Cup.
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Once again the magic of Rosario was decisive for the classification of the pink team to the round of 16 of the international tournament that brings together teams from Mexico, Canada and the USA. La Pulga has five goals in the net 186 minutes played. And no other player in MLS soccer history did it as quickly as the legendary striker with a past at Barcelona and PSG.
Beyond sports, the figure of the best of all time also represented a great economic impact. An example of this was the landing of Ares Management, which invested an additional 75 million dollars in Inter Miami, after the incorporation of the captain of the Argentine team.
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The Florida entity will use that money to carry out the construction of the Miami Freedom Park stadium and finance other growth initiatives, according to a statement issued in the last few hours by the institution. So far, Ares has invested $225 million in the club since 2021.
Inter Miami, currently at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, has been boosted by the arrival of Messi, considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time. Gerardo Martino’s team faced tough competition from the wealthy Saudi Pro League to sign the star from Rosario after his experience in the French capital and the feat achieved at the World Cup in Qatar.
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The franchise they call Las Garzas was founded in 2018 and is one of the newest teams competing in MLS. It was created with the backing of David Beckham, who is also a co-owner of the club. The specialized media Sportico estimated that the club was valued at US$585 million last year.
Details of Inter Miami’s value after Ares’ latest capital injection were not disclosed, although Jorge Mas, the entity’s president and co-owner, said in a recent interview that its value could be as high as $1.5 billion a year. “We are excited to increase our strategic investment in the club,” said Jim Miller, Ares co-head of sports, media and entertainment strategy, in the statement announcing the new investment. “Our work together and the progress made since our initial investment has only strengthened our confidence in the bright future of Inter Miami,” he added.
The company is also an investor in the Spanish soccer club Atlético de Madrid and in Eagle Football Holdings, owner of several clubs that back teams such as England’s Crystal Palace and France’s Olympique Lyonnais.
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