Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas believes Lionel Messi will go on to lead a life similar to Manchester United legend David Beckham once he retires.
Barcelona icon Messi will be joining the Herons after negotiations over a return to Camp Nou fell through. While no official announcement has been made by Miami, the club has hinted on social media a deal has been secured with the Argentina ace and his former teammate Sergio Busquets.
Beckham has pulled out all the stops to bring Messi to the US. It is understood the World Cup winner will earn between $50million and $60million per year while he will also take home a cut of the profit from Apple TV's broadcasting rights and shirt sales.
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All this has led Mas to claim Messi could lead a lifestyle on par with Beckham's once he eventually retires from football. In an interview with El Pais, he said: "Messi can turn MLS into one of the two or three biggest leagues in the world.
"I think he comes with the desire to leave his mark, and he will be able to do so beyond football. When he retires he will have a stake in the club. I imagine a life after football for Messi very similar to that of David Beckham or Michael Jordan."
Both Beckham and basketball legend Jordan have managed to reinvent themselves away from their sports with different business ventures proving to be highly successful. Messi will also be hoping to replicate the former United star's influence on the pitch.
When Beckham joined LA Galaxy in 2007, the move brought plenty of fresh eyes to Major League Soccer and helped create a platform for other top players to join the league including Javier Hernandez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to name just two.
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