David Beckham’s Inter Miami announced the signing of France international Blaise Matuidi on Thursday morning, the second day of Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window.
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The 33-year-old central midfielder will occupy an international roster slot, pending the receipt of his international transfer certificate and P-1 Visa, meaning the expansion side’s final designated player slot remains open.
Matuidi joins Inter Miami from Juventus, where he won Serie A titles in all three of his seasons with the club, scoring eight goals in 133 appearances. He played in five and started four of France’s seven matches en route to the World Cup title in 2018, including the final against Croatia.
“Blaise is one of the most successful midfielders of his generation and we’re thrilled to have him at Inter Miami,” Inter Miami COO and sporting director Paul McDonough said in a statement. “His world-class quality and leadership will be key attributes for the club.”
Inter Miami, who have lost all five of their matches with three goals scored and eight conceded, resume their inaugural season on 22 August with the club’s first ever match at Inter Miami CF Stadium.
Beckham called the signing a “proud moment” in his club’s young history.
“I couldn’t be happier to welcome my friend Blaise to Inter Miami. He is an exciting and gifted player and a great person,” Beckham said. “To have a World Cup winner of Blaise’s quality in our new team is such a proud moment – for us as owners and for our fans. For me personally, to have a former teammate joining our club is very special and I can’t wait to welcome him and his beautiful family to south Florida.”
