“Messi will need time to adapt to MLS,” says Beckham

Despite his magnitude and experience as a football star, Lionel Messi will need some time to adapt to the style of play of Inter Miami and the MLS, said Englishman David Beckham, co-owner of the American franchise, this Tuesday (18).

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder attended Messi and Spaniard Sergio Busquets’ first training session in Miami on Tuesday (18) since they were introduced to their new fans on Sunday.

“Whatever their level and stature, Leo and Sergio will need time to adapt,” declared the Englishman. “It could be that they surprise us, we can start to win every game, but we have to be patient.”

Fans of Inter, last placed this season in the North American championship (MLS), may have to start applying that patience in Messi’s expected debut, on Friday, against Cruz Azul, in the opening of the League Cup, since the Argentine star could be on the bench at the beginning of the match.

“Leo will play some part of the game, but that will depend on the coach” (Gerardo Martino), said Beckham. “It will be Leo who decides if he’s ready because we know he’s been away for a few weeks with his family. But he looks fit, he looks really good.”

An MLS media star since his days with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham said Messi will find a very different league on the pitch, but one that in some respects hasn’t changed much.

“One of the similarities is that when I arrived, suddenly everyone was like, ‘Los Angeles is going to win every game 7-0, 8-0 and no one else is going to win anything,'” he recalled.

After signing Beckham in 2007, the Galaxy failed to make the playoffs in their first two seasons, but in 2009 they were runners-up and in 2011 and 2012 they won the title.

“The first two years for me were a challenge. Getting used to everything, making the club and the league a bit more professional, but things changed very quickly,” said Beckham.

“I started to like football a lot more… We are now in a phase where things are definitely different from how they were in 2007,” he said.

Although the game is not comparable to the powerful leagues of European football, for many players who arrived in the MLS at a late stage in their careers, it was difficult to succeed.

Frequent travel across time zones, some stadiums with artificial surfaces and teammates with less quality are some of the challenges for the stars.

“It’s a different style of football, a slightly different level than what they’re obviously used to,” admitted Beckham. “But football in this country is now at a good level, at a great level.”