The Major League Soccer club Inter Miami announced on Sunday that Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets had signed a deal with the club that will keep him playing with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi until the 2025 season. Busquets will be reunited with Messi during that time.
The agreement was finalized just one day after Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to victory at the World Cup last year in Qatar, signed a contract with the club. Argentina won the tournament.
The previous month, Inter made the announcement that they were going to acquire Busquets, who will be reuniting with Messi, another old teammate from Barcelona.
Inter stated that they anticipate the one-time World Cup winner, nine-time La Liga winner, and former Barca captain to join the team “in the coming days.” He will occupy a Designated Player slot and is anticipated to make his debut “soon.”
In a statement, Inter Miami’s controlling owner Jorge Mas expressed his delight at the signing of Sergio Busquets. “I am excited to welcome Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami,” Mas stated.
“From the very beginning, our goal has been to staff Inter Miami with the very finest players in the world. The breadth and depth of Sergio’s repertoire speak for itself.”
In May, Busquets announced that he would be leaving Barcelona at the conclusion of his current contract later this year. Busquets is currently 34 years old.
Before declaring his retirement from the Spain national team in December, he played 134 times for Spain during his career.
In the past 15 years, Busquets has been an integral part of Barcelona’s success on the pitch, which includes the club’s three victories in the Champions League.
In 2010, Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi Hernandez formed an iconic midfield trio for Spain, and the three of them won the World Cup together. Busquets played the pivot role behind Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
“He is one of the smartest players to ever play the sport,” Chris Henderson, the sporting director for Inter, remarked of the player. He has an unmatched understanding of the game and an impact on each and every part of the action.
According to Busquets, the transfer presented a “unique and fascinating opportunity.”
“When I came here with Barcelona the year before, I was blown away by the club, and now I’m thrilled to say that I’m ready to represent the club on my own. I can’t wait to contribute to the achievement of the lofty goals that this club has set for itself.”
The deal takes place a day after Lionel Messi signed the contract that has excited football fans in Miami and beyond, and it takes place on the same day that Inter planned to officially present him at a “unveiling” at the club’s pitch in order to celebrate his arrival.
Inter Miami are currently in last place in the Major League Soccer standings when Messi and Busquets sign with the club.
A loss against St. Louis City by the score of 3-0 on Saturday marked the club’s 14th setback in their last 22 matches, extending their winless streak to 11 games.
After suffering yet another defeat, Miami is now in last position not only in the Eastern Conference but also in the overall standings, where they are ranked last out of all 29 teams.
It was anticipated that Messi would make his debut on Friday against Cruz Azul in the new Leagues Cup, a tournament that features all of the top-flight teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX (Mexico’s top professional soccer league).
According to Inter, Busquets will initially be available for the game that he is now playing in.