David Beckham explains how he managed to sign Lionel Messi for Inter Miami

There is no doubt that the signing of Lionel Messi by Inter Miami has been one of the most successful signings in the world, at least in terms of impact. Now, David Beckham explained to 'The Athletic' how the transfer really came through, and what was the secret behind it.

What were his exact words for The Athletic? : “It all started with a chat over a glass of wine. At dinner I spoke to my partners José and Jorge Mas, and told them: "One day we need Messi to join our team. He was always on my mind, there is no one better."

The London-born continues: "In September 2019, we took a plane and flew to Barcelona from London in complete secrecy. We sneaked into the hotel, met Jorge Messi and started talking… One day, I was in Japan with my family and I woke up at 5 in the morning because my phone kept vibrating. Victoria told me: 'really? Switch off the mobile phone!'. I put on my glasses and yelled: 'Leo is coming! It's done'. Today it gives me goosebumps talking about it."

What else did Beckham say?

“I never thought that I would have the same feeling as an owner that I had when I was a footballer. When I received the phone call, I had the same feeling as when my name was chanted at Old Trafford or Wembley. I thought: 'We just beat all the competition to sign the best player to ever play our game”.