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Video: Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets Officially Introduced as Inter Miami Players

Julia Stumbaugh

Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets are officially members of Inter Miami.

The two players were introduced to a sold-out home crowd at DRV PNK Stadium Sunday night during "La PresentaSÍon," a celebration welcoming the club's newest arrivals.

Messi, who most recently played in the Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, was presented with a No. 10 jersey. Busquets, a longtime midfielder for Barcelona in La Liga, will wear No. 5.

A taped welcome for Messi included greetings from Tom Brady and Steph Curry.

Messi himself spoke for about two minutes in Spanish, per USA Today.

"I really want to start training, and competing,'' Messi said. "I really want to win and for this club to keep growing. … Personally, I believe that my teammates are going to give everything to build this project and I am very happy to have chosen this city, to have chosen this project and I have no doubt that we are going to have a great time and we are going to experience very nice things."

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas and co-owner David Beckham also spoke at the event.

"Today a new journey and a new chapter start. There will always be a before and after Lionel Messi," Mas said.

Beckham told the crowd the Sunday night celebration was a moment he had imagined since investing in Inter Miami ten years ago.

"I dreamt of bringing the best players in the world to South Florida and to the great city to Miami. Players who shared our ambition to grow soccer in this country... it truly is a dream come true to welcome Lionel Messi to Inter Miami," Beckham said.

The ceremony officially reunited Busquets and Messi, who had played together at Barcelona for over a decade.

Their arrival in Florida has sent the popularity of Inter Miami tickets skyrocketing. Prices soared by 1,000 percent after Messi's arrival was announced, per CNN.

   

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