Lionel Messi and his teammates representing the Inter Miami club named the longest boat in the world.
Inter Miami celebrated their partnership with cruise line Royal Caribbean International on Tuesday (January 23) by sending Messi and his teammates to the Port of Miami, where they participated in the traditional naming of the a new ship – in this case the Icon of the Sea. The ship, which will officially set sail for the first time this weekend, is the longest ship in the world at 1,198 feet (about 365 meters).
Messi led the ceremony, placing a football on a stand to begin the traditional ritual of smashing a bottle of champagne against the ship’s bow – something believed to bring good luck to the ship and its passengers. ship.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner called it a “privilege”. “It is a great honor for me and I know how much it means to the city of Miami and the whole world,” Messi said in Spanish . Therefore, I named this ship the Symbol of the Sea. God bless you and all on board.”
Messi named the yacht Icon of the Sea (Source: Internet)
At an earlier event inside a theater on the ship, Inter Miami introduced its new black kit for the 2024 season. Messi and his teammates took off their pink zip-up sweatshirts to reveal their black jerseys. trimmed in the team’s traditional pink with the Royal Caribbean logo across the chest.
Messi and Inter Miami will depart this weekend for Saudi Arabia and will have a few matches next week as part of their pre-season international tour. First is the match against Al-Hilal on January 30, and then on February 2 is the match against Al Nassr, which will feature Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s long-time rival.
It is known that Ronaldo’s health is seriously questioned. Al Nassr has had several matches scheduled to be held in China starting this week postponed because of what organizers called a “physical problem” for Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar is said to have a calf injury that could take two weeks to heal.
This means that Ronaldo and Messi will not be able to face each other again on the field. During a press conference in China, Ronaldo apologized to fans and said the injury was something he could not control.
Messi and Ronaldo have faced off 35 times previously between matches for club and country, with Messi’s team winning 16, Ronaldo’s team winning 10 and the two sides drawing on the remaining nine occasions. Messi has 21 goals and 12 assists in those matches; Ronaldo has 20 goals and 1 assist.