A video of David Beckham apparently tearing up after Argentinian soccer legend Lionel Messi scored the game-winning goal for Inter Miami on Friday went viral on social media, where it was viewed over 11 million times.
The clip was shared on Twitter by a fan club for the Argentinian player, with a caption saying: "David Beckham in tears after Messi's goal!" In the clip, Beckham, who's the co-owner of the team, appears visibly moved.
Messi's free-kick goal not only brought home the victory for Inter Miami, but also represented a stellar debut for the Argentinian player, who has been considered by many as the best soccer player in the world and even the greatest of all time, i.e. the GOAT.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored a total of 807 goals during his long career, according to Sporting News, and has the most goals for a single club (672) than any other soccer player—mainly because of his long-enduring loyalty to Barcelona, which he joined at the age of 13 and with which he started playing competitively at the age of 17.
David Beckham in tears after Messi’s goal! 🥺pic.twitter.com/WMD3QHggv1
— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) July 22, 2023
After winning the World Cup with his national team in 2022, Messi was rumored to be transferring to a team in Saudi Arabia, a controversial move that has already been made by world-famous players like Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the end, Messi did not accept a $1.9 billion offer from Saudi Arabia-based club Al-Hilal, as reported by Fox Sports, and decided to go to Inter Miami instead. The deal with the American team was reported to be worth between $50 and $60 million per year.
Having Messi signed with Inter Miami was a huge victory for Beckham, the English soccer player-turned-team owner who managed to sign the icon. During a call with journalists in June reported by Sportico, co-owner Jorge Mas said Messi joining the team represented a "major seminal moment" in the history of soccer in the U.S.
"I think there will always be a before and an after Messi when we talk about the sport in the United States," he said.
On Friday, during his first game with the team, Messi did not disappoint his fans or his team, bringing home a 2-1 victory in the fourth minute of added time against Liga MX club Cruz Azul.
"We wanted to start like this by giving these people a victory," Messi said after the game. "We knew that it was very important for us to start this championship in winning fashion. Luckily we were able to do it in the end, and I am very happy."
A number of celebrities were in the audience, including some of the other greatest athletes in the world—including basketball player LeBron James and tennis star Serena Williams.
