On Saturday evening, David Beckham introduced the two best footballers to each other after welcoming Tom Brady to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
Argentine star Messi was also forced to watch from the stands as he recovers from an ankle injury, but he met Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl winner, to celebrate after Miami beat Cincinnati 2-0 to qualify for the Major League Soccer play-offs.
And Brady joked that he would be taking Messi back to Birmingham – the English team he has a minority stake in – after the match. He wrote on Instagram: ‘Taking Leo Messi back to Birmingham. Sorry David Beckham.’
Brady was also presented with his own pink Miami jersey by Beckham before the game on Saturday.
“THE GREATEST,” Beckham captioned the photo, adding two “goat” emojis and tagging Brady and Messi. “It doesn’t get any better than this to see us going into the play-offs.”
David Beckham introduced Lionel Messi to Tom Brady during Saturday’s match between Inter Miami
Brady joked that he would take Messi to Birmingham after Saturday’s match
Beckham also presented Brady with his own Inter Miami jersey before the MLS match
Brady, 47, and Beckham have been friends for years and their families have previously spent time together in Miami. Former NFL star Brady lives in Florida — albeit a four-hour drive from Miami, in a newly built $17 million mansion in Tampa.
World Cup winner Messi left for Miami last year, a move that breathed new life into the sport in the United States.
Beckham was the driving force behind the recruitment of the former Barcelona player, who like Brady is considered the best ever in his sport, to America and to the team he co-owns.
And Beckham rolled out the red carpet when he found his man — with a little help from Brady.
Last July, he unveiled Messi during a star-studded opening ceremony at Freedom Park stadium in Miami. Brady was one of many stars who sent Messi a welcoming message that was shown on the screens.
Later that year, Messi led Miami to win the Leagues Cup, the team’s first since Beckham’s founding, but they failed to reach the play-offs.
Messi has been admired by Brady for years. Before the 2018 Super Bowl, which Brady’s New England Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, the quarterback underlined how Messi is an athlete he follows beyond his own sport.
“I love Messi, he’s a great player — but I’m a little bit older than him,” Brady said, via Sports Illustrated.
‘I love football, I’ve been watching it for a long time. I admire him, he’s a great athlete.’
Brady, who is set to join FOX as an NFL analyst on a 10-year, $375 million contract, ventured into the other world of football after becoming a minority shareholder in English team Birmingham last year.
Brady and Beckham have been friends for years – here are Beckham and his daughter Harper pictured with Brady and his daughter Vivian
The athletic duo are often spotted together when they’re both in Florida
His first season with the team was a disaster: they were relegated from the second division, but started the new season with two wins and a draw.
After beating Leyton Orient 2-1 on Saturday, Brady posted a message to Birmingham fans on Instagram: ‘Great win! We need your support all year!’
Messi is now fully expected to return to Miami for the play-offs in October.