Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami has been the talk of the town in the soccer world. Messi‘s decision has put the relatively unknown Inter Miami under the spotlight. Moreover, the Miami-based club has already gained over 6 million followers since the news came out about Messi’s arrival. In this article, we will take a look at the owners of Lionel Messi’s new club.
Inter Miami CF is a soccer club based in Fort Lauderdale which was established in 2018. The establishment of the club was initiated after MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the league’s intention of having a franchise based in Miami. Meanwhile, when David Beckham signed for the MLS side LA Galaxy, he was offered the option to purchase an expansion team in the MLS for only $25 million.
David Beckham’s move to MLS is one of the best sports business deals ever:
● Earned $255 Million over 5 years
● Purchased Inter Miami for $25 Million
● Inter Miami is valued at $600M And now they have Lionel Messi, which will push the club’s valuation toward – $1 Billion. pic.twitter.com/XKLIVrNNFk— Christian Nyembue (@Christi67602801) June 9, 2023
After his retirement in 2013, Beckham exercised his option of buying the expansion team in 2014. Among the group of investors interested in buying the expansion team, Beckham ultimately became the owner of the new expansion team. The new club announced its name as Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, shortened to Inter Miami. The team played its first MLS match on March 1, 2020, in a 1-0 defeat to LA FC.
What percentage of Inter Miami does David Beckham own?
Manchester United legend and former England captain David Beckham is the co-owner of Inter Miami. Back in 2014, Miami Beckham United was the investment team that had bought the ownership of the club. Besides Beckham, Marcelo Claure and Masayoshi Son were also part of the Miami Beckham United. However, later on, Beckham bought out Claure and Son’s stakes in the club.
Earlier, the former Real Madrid star had a 10% stake in the soccer club. However, as of 2021, David Beckham increased his stake to 30%. Although Beckham isn’t the sole owner of the club-he is partnered with two entrepreneurs from Miami. Moreover, a financial investment company called Ares Management also made an investment of $150 million in the club, thus granting them ownership stakes in the club.
Other owners of Lionel Messi’s new club
Besides David Beckham, Jorge Mas and his brother Jose Mas also own Inter Miami. As per the club’s website, Jorge is listed as the CEO and Managing Owner while Jose and David are the co-owners. On September 2021, Beckham and the Mas brothers acquired the previously owned shares from the previous owners Marcelo Claure and Masayoshi Son.
Jorge and Jose Mas first became part of the Inter Miami ownership team in 2017. During that time, Beckham and the Mas brothers owned a small part of the club. Meanwhile, Claure and Son’s stakes added up to 48%. Currently, the ownership percentage of the club between Jorge and Jose Mas is split into a 37.5% stake. Moreover, the current value of Inter Miami has been listed at around $600 million.
Always believe, Persevere no matter the noise, Dream the seemingly impossible, It’s what defines our beautiful city, Miami #freedomtodream pic.twitter.com/mdbQiUoBdd
— Jorge Mas (@Jorge__Mas) June 7, 2023
Furthermore, according to Forbes, Jorge Mas’ net worth is estimated to be a massive $1.3 billion. However, MARCA reports that since the news about Messi’s arrival at the club came out, Mas’ net worth has risen to $1.4 billion. Besides Inter Miami, Jorge Mas also owns a Spanish soccer club named Real Zaragoza. In addition to this, Jorge is also the chairman of MasTec, a multinational construction company.