He's here. Awaited by American fans the best - according to some - soccer player in the history of the sport. The Argentine appeared at the facility in Fort Lauderdale, where his new team plays. How many fans showed up in the stands during the official presentation?

The stadium prepared for the arrival of the legend

Lionel Messi emerged from behind the curtain, took a few steps on the rain-soaked treadmill set up on the Inter Miami stadium turf and headed toward David Beckham to give him a hug. Inter Miami - after years of disappointment - introduced what many believe to be soccer's biggest star on Sunday evening, presenting its fans with the number 10 jersey that millions of people will be buying in the coming weeks and months.

I'm sure we'll have many great experiences, - Messi told the crowd. Sunday was the first of them. Almost every seat was filled despite the earlier terrible weather conditions that delayed the event. The relentless evening rain didn't stop the fans, who also took advantage of the stands provided for the special occasion.

 © Inter Miami

When can Inter Miami play in the new stadium?

David Beckham and his partners found that the complications of the development disappeared when Miami-Dade local government officials voted to loosen the rules on what businesses can operate in the area outside Miami International Airport where the entertainment complex and soccer stadium are planned.

Zoning regulations around MIA posed a problem for the Miami Freedom Park project because Miami-Dade regulations establish an "outer safety zone" about 5,000 feet from the runways, which prohibits the construction of buildings that would attract large concentrations of people below the flight paths where planes take off and land.

While the planned 25,000-seat Major League Soccer club stadium is outside the zone, the entertainment space planned for the 131-acre Melreese Golf Course in Miami is not. As a result, restaurants and nightclubs would be banned under existing MIA rules. In the new rules, Miami-Dade dropped a broad restriction on any building where 50 or more people would congregate.

© Inter Miami