David Beckham says his ambition is to bring "great players" like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Inter Miami but maintains any superstar wanting to join his MLS franchise "has to be right for the team".
Speaking Saturday at an event to launch Miami's new jersey, Inter co-owner Beckham said the club's priority was to develop home-grown talent as the cornerstone of the franchise's long-term success - much like that of Manchester United, where Beckham first came to fame in the 1990s.
However, he acknowledged that a sprinkling of stardust over Phil Neville's squad was also on part of Inter's strategy.
"I have said from day one that our academy system is a massive part of this club and if we can bring players through here that have lived and breathed Inter Miami then that is the goal," Beckham told AFP.
"But we also know that being in Miami, our fans want to see the big stars.
"We already have players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi who add to the glitz and glamour but also going forward we want to have the opportunity to bring some great names in."
Messi's time at Barcelona appears to be drawing to a close with the lingering acrimony over his failed attempt to leave last summer coupled with the team's poor performances reportedly major factors. The Argentine, 33, will not be short of suitors should he bring his long association at Camp Nou to an end, and he has previously expressed an interest in a move to the MLS.
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Messi by numbers
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768 - With his appearance against Real Sociedad on March 21, 2021, Lionel Messi became Barcelona's all-time appearance record-holder, overtaking Xavi. He scored twice in Barca's 6-1 win. AFP -
LIONEL MESSI'S BARCELONA RECORDS: 6 - Most Copa del Rey finals scored in: 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019. Reuters -
34 - Most trophies won as a Barcelona player. Reuters -
513 - Most matches won with Barcelona. EPA -
48 - Most hat-tricks scored in all competitions for Barcelona. EPA -
15 - First player to score in 15 consecutive seasons of the UEFA Champions League. AFP -
7 - Most Pichichi Trophies (top scorer in La Liga): 2010, 2012–2013, 2017–2020. Reuters -
37 - Most opponents scored against in La Liga history. AFP -
Only player to be top goalscorer and top assist provider in the same season: (2018–20). EPA -
361 - Most La Liga victories. EPA -
16 - Most dribbles completed in a UEFA Champions League game. AFP -
27 - Most league matches scored in a season (38 games): 2012–13. EPA -
19 - Most teams scored against in a season: 2012–13. AFP -
75 - Most appearances in the Copa del Rey for Barcelona. AFP -
47 - Most goals scored from a free kick in official competitions for Barcelona. Reuters -
38 - Most stadiums scored at in La Liga. Reuters -
485 - Most La Liga appearances by a foreign player. AFP -
150 - First player to reach 150 La Liga assists. AFP -
4 - Most Man of the Match awards won in one FIFA World Cup: in 2014. AFP -
6 - Only player to score in six different club competitions in a calendar year twice: 2011 and 2015. Reuters -
First player ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league (2012-2013). EPA -
4 - Only player to provide at least one assist in four World Cup tournaments. AFP -
13 - Most appearances in the FIFPro World11: (2007–2019). EPA -
11 - Most appearances on a video game cover by a football player. AFP -
334 - Fastest player ever to reach 300 goals in Europe's top five leagues. AFP -
10 - Most Man of the Match awards won in Copa América matches. AP Photo -
115 - Most goals scored for a single club in the UEFA Champions League. AFP -
435 - Fastest player ever to reach 400 goals in Europe's top five leagues. AFP -
5 - Most goals scored in a European Cup/Champions League game, against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. AFP -
110 - Most dribbles completed at the World Cup finals. AFP -
123 - Fastest player to reach 100 UEFA Champions League goals. AFP -
68 - Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage. AFP -
5 - Only player to provide at least one assist in five Copa América tournaments. AFP -
3 - Most UEFA/UEFA.com Goal of the Season awards: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19. AFP -
6 - Most Best Player in La Liga awards: 2009–2013; 2015. AFP -
12 - Top assist provider in Copa America history. AP Photo -
21 - Most goals in CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. AFP -
6 - Most Ballons d'Or: 2009–2012; 2015; 2019. AFP -
Messi is the only player ever to score in his teens, his 20s, and his 30s at the World Cup. He first scored at the 2006 FIFA World Cup as a 19-year-old in Argentina's 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro, then five times in 2014, and once in 2018. AFP -
6 - Most FIFA World Player of the Year/Best FIFA Men's Player Awards: 2009–2012; 2015; 2019. AFP -
444 - Most goals in La Liga. AFP -
50 - goals in a La Liga and European league season. Reuters -
8 - Most Champions League hat-tricks. AFP -
183 - Most assists in La Liga. AFP -
7 - La Liga Best Forward titles ( 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16). AFP -
36 - Most hat-tricks in La Liga. AFP -
300 - Most recorded assists in football history. AFP -
91 - goals in a calendar year (2012) - 79 with Barca (59 in La Liga, 13 in the Champions League, 5 in the Copa del Rey and 2 in the Spanish Super Cup) plus 12 with the Argentina national side. -
6 - European Golden Shoes for top scorer in European football. AFP -
60 - Only player to score 60+ goals in all competitions in 2 consecutive seasons: (2011–12 and 2012–13). AFP -
10 - Only player to score more than 40 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. AFP -
79 - Top goalscorer in all club competitions in a calendar year (2012). AFP -
21 - Longest goalscoring run in a domestic league: 33 goals in 2012–13. Reuters -
7 - Only player to score in seven official competitions in one calendar year: 2015, in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Copa America, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Reuters -
70 - Argentina all-time top scorer. EPA -
27 - Top goalscorer in El Clásico. EPA
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At 36 Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down and has maintained his sensational scoring form since switching to Juventus from Real Madrid in 2018. The Portugal forward has also previously indicated a desire to move to the US.
Asked about Messi and Ronaldo, Beckham refused to rule out a move for either player.
"The player has to be right for the team, still have ambition and want to win," Beckham said.
"So whatever player we talk to, we have to make sure that is a priority.
"Of course, we always want to bring in great players. Miami is a great pull for anyone and those kinds of players [Messi and Ronaldo] are the kind we aspire to bring here."
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Ronaldo by numbers
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10 - Cristiano Ronaldo's treble against Luxembourg in 2022 World Cup qualifying on October 12, 2021 saw him become the first player to net 10 international hat-tricks. Getty Images -
111 - Cristiano Ronaldo's two last-gasp headers in a 2022 World Cup qualifier against Republic of Ireland on September 1, 2021 made him the highest scoring player in international football, surpassing Ali Daei's previous mark of 109. Reuters -
11 - Cristiano Ronaldo's two goals in a 3-0 win over Hungary in their opening match of Euro 2020 saw him surpass Michel Platini's record of nine at the continental championship. EPA -
770 - Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick in Juventus' 3-1 win over Cagliari on Sunday, March 14 saw him surpass Pele's official record tally of goals for both club and country. AFP -
12 - Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in a 3-0 Serie A win over Spezia on March 2, 2021 saw the Portuguese striker become the first player to score 20 league goals in 12 consecutive seasons across Europe's top five league. AFP -
760 - Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed as the most prolific goalscorer in history on Wednesday after scoring his 760th senior goal to help Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Supercup final. AFP -
200 - Fastest Real Madrid player to reach 200 official goals. Reuters -
150 - Fastest La Liga player to score 150 league goals (140 matches). AP -
Cristiano Ronaldo is ranked by ESPN as the most famous sportsman in the world and is the most followed individual on both Facebook and Instagram.. AFP -
14 - Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. AFP -
10 - First player to score in ten consecutive international tournaments (Portugal). AFP -
4 - Most UEFA Best Player in Europe Award and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. AFP -
3 - First player to appear in three European Championship semi-finals: in 2004, 2012, and 2016. AFP -
5 - Most headed goals at European Championship finals tournaments. Getty Images -
Oldest player to score a UEFA Champions League hat-trick: 34 years and 35 days. Reuters -
128 - Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League. Reuters -
30 - Most goals scored in European World Cup Qualifiers. AFP -
34 - Most hat-tricks in La Liga for Real Madrid. Reuters -
100 - Youngest Portuguese player to reach 100 caps: 27 years, 8 months and 11 days. Reuters -
17 - Most matches played in World Cup finals for Portugal. AFP -
21 - Most matches played in European Championship finals for Portugal. Reuters -
7 - First player to score in seven consecutive away matches in a debut Serie A season. AFP -
12 - Most goals scored from direct free kicks in UEFA Champions League history. EPA -
3 - First player to appear in the FIFPro World11 for two and three clubs. Getty -
22 - Most goals scored in Madrid Derby matches. AFP -
40 - Most assists in the UEFA Champions League. Reuters -
6 - First player to score in six consecutive Clásicos. AFP -
2 - First player to score for two winning teams in the UEFA Champions League/European Cup: Manchester United (2007–08) and Real Madrid (2013–14). Getty Images -
41 - Most different national teams scored against. Reuters -
33 years, 310 days - Oldest player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup. Reuters -
1 - First footballer to have won the European Golden Shoe in different leagues: English Premier League (2007–08) and Spanish La Liga (2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15). Getty -
10 - Only player to score 10 goals against a single opponent (Juventus) in the UEFA Champions League. AFP -
6 - Only player to finish UEFA Champions League top scorer in six consecutive seasons: from 2012–13 to 2017–18. Reuters -
6 - Only player to score in all six group stage matches in the UEFA Champions League in a season. AFP -
11 - Most consecutive UEFA Champions League matches scored in. Getty Images -
61 - Most goals scored from penalty kicks in La Liga history. Getty Images -
311- Real Madrid's top goalscorer in La Liga. Getty Images -
56 - Most goals scored in UEFA Champions League knockout phase. AFP -
450 - Real Madrid all-time top goalscorer. AP Photo -
17 - Most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League/European Cup season (2013/14). Reuters -
9 - Most hat-tricks scored for the Portugal national team. AP Photo -
131 - Most goals scored in European competitions (club football). Reuters -
100 - First player to reach 100 career goals in the UEFA Champions League. Getty Images -
164 - Portugal's most capped player. Reuters -
2 - First player to score in consecutive FIFA Club World Cup Finals (2016, 2017). Christopher Pike / The National -
8 - Only player in the world who has scored in the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 editions of the European Championship; and in the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 editions of the World Cup -
99 - Europe's all-time top international goalscorer. Reuters -
171 - Most goals scored in all UEFA competitions. Reuters -
50 - Only player to score more than a half-century of goals in seven consecutive calendar years. Getty Images -
2- Only player to win the league title, domestic cup, domestic supercup, Champions League, Club World Cup, league player of the year, Golden Shoe and Ballon d'Or at two clubs (Manchester United and Real Madrid). Getty Images -
32- Most international goals in a calander year with Portugal (2017). AFP -
7 - Most goals in the history of the Fifa Club World Cup. AFP -
128 - Ronaldo is the UEFA Champions league all-time top goalscorer with 128 goals while Lionel Messi is second with 114 to his name. Getty Images -
11 - Most consecutive Serie A matches scored in. AFP -
50 - Ronaldo's two goals for Juventus against Lazio saw him become the fastest player to reach 50 goals in Serie A, doing so in 61 games. Reuters -
50 - With his brace against Lazio on Monday, Ronaldo became the first player to score 50 or more goals in Serie A, La Liga, and the Premier League. AFP
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Beckham cited his former United mentor Alex Ferguson as the inspiration behind his recruitment vision.
"Sir Alex Ferguson was the master at choosing the right player, he didn't always bring the best player in the world, he brought the right player for the club and that is one of the things that I have taken into this place," he said.
Miami boss Neville has already added former Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross to his squad as well as Brazilian midfielder Gregore while talks with West Bromwich Albion full-back Kieran Gibbs are ongoing.
