Lionel Messi's wife opens up on surprise that speaks volumes about David Beckham decision

Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, has offered a glowing endorsement of David Beckham’s Major League Soccer outfit, Inter Miami. When Beckham famously switched from European giants Real Madrid to LA Galaxy in 2007, he shone a spotlight on MLS. Not only did he net an astronomical contract, but he also had the chance to snap up his own franchise for a mere £ 20 million.

Fast-forward to 2014, and the former England captain had chosen Miami as his base, and Inter Miami CF burst into the league in 2020. Only last year, mimicking Beckham’s trailblazing transfer, the club turned heads by scooping global football icon Messi – from the grips of the Saudi Pro League – in an audacious move that caused ripples stateside.

Now, the decision to plant roots in the sunny sprawl of Miami has been validated by Messi’s other half, with her latest effusive statements about their life in the city.

“What I love the most about Miami is the climate, the people, and the landscape,” Roccuzzo told Haute Living. “All this makes you feel like you’re living in perpetual summer.

“The biggest surprise for us was the warm welcome we received when we arrived. We knew it would be special, but it exceeded all our expectations.

“It has actually been very easy [adapting to life in Miami], and we’re all happy about it. Our main concern was that the kids might not like it or adjust well, but from day one, they adapted very well.”

Messi himself has also declared a love for the city in the past, further underscoring former Manchester United star Beckham’s decision to base his project in the location.

“I came here to play and to keep enjoying soccer, which is what I loved my whole life, and I chose this place because of all those things,” Messi explained to the media last year following his move.

“I can tell you that I am very happy with the decision I made and for how my family and I live our day-to-day lives and how we enjoy the city and this new experience and how the people received us from the first day, from the people of Miami and the people of the US in general.

“We were convinced we wanted to come here, and the people made it very easy, the people in the club and the people I see day to day in the streets and the amazing city, it makes living here very easy and happy.

“The school too has helped us get comfortable and get settled in in our day-to-day lives, so it was a lot easier than I thought it would be because our experience of changing from Barcelona to Paris was very complicated and this has been completely different.”