Lionel Messi's presentation as a new Inter Miami player on July 15, 2023, meant a lot to many people. For David Beckham, it was his biggest move yet as the team's co-owner. For Messi it meant securing a huge building block for his post-playing career, especially after guaranteeing future equity in the club. For the Major League Soccer, it was arguably the biggest marketing move in its history — as backed up by ticket sales, revenue and TV subscriptions. For soccer in the U.S. as a whole it provided the perfect move at a time when the country's on the cusp of hosting the Copa America later this year and the World Cup in 2026.
And for Tony Cherchi, it meant that he had arrived at the biggest stage yet of his illustrious career.
