Lionel Messi has completed his move to Inter Miami on a deal running to 2025, the Major League Soccer outfit have announced.

The 36-year-old Argentina superstar revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end.

With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

The World Cup winner said in a statement from the club: “I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States.

“This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”

Inter Miami are co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, who said: “Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city.

“Players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much.

“Today that dream came true. I couldn’t be prouder that a player of Leo’s calibre is joining our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community.

“The next phase of our adventure starts here, and I can’t wait to see Leo take to the pitch.”

MLS commissioner Don Garber said: “We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and his decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our League and our sport in North America.

“We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a league of choice for the best players in the game. We look forward to seeing his debut for Inter Miami in our Leagues Cup tournament later this month.”

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrives after a season in which he helped his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as well as PSG to the Ligue 1 title, as in his first campaign with them in 2021-22.

That adds to an already huge trophy haul on his CV that features four Champions League successes from his years with Barcelona, for whom he scored a staggering total of 672 goals.

Joining Miami sees Messi – who has also netted more than 100 international goals – reunite with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina.

Martino was appointed in June after the club sacked Beckham’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville.

Lionel Messi’s contract with Inter Miami CF became official on Saturday, and his highly anticipated MLS debut will likely occur Friday against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

Messi, who turned 36 years old on June 24, announced on June 7 that he would be joining Miami after his exit from Paris Saint-Germain.

His contract with Miami will run through the end of the 2025 season and be worth $50-60 million per year.

"I'm very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States," Messi said.

"This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project.

“The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I'm very eager to start helping here in my new home."

Messi led Argentina to their first World Cup success since 1986 in Qatar last year, and the Barcelona great has won the Ballon d'Or trophy a record seven times.

“We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and his decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our League and our sport in North America,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.

“We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a League of Choice for the best players in the game.

“We look forward to seeing his debut for Inter Miami in our Leagues Cup tournament later this month.”

Rossa Ryan had just one thing on his mind after riding his first Group One winner with Shaquille – his parents.

After all the interviews were done in a windswept Newmarket winner’s enclosure following the Pertemps-sponsored July Cup and the horses had long since departed, the young rider still had plenty of emotion in his voice, almost overwhelmed by a victory that meant so much in so many ways.

Ryan had been at something of a crossroads when parting company with the burgeoning Amo Racing operation, a move announced last August.

To his credit, one of the first to congratulate him amid the throng of well-wishers was Amo’s founder Kia Joorabchian, who wrapped an arm around the jockey with hearty words of congratulation.

The parting may have been amicable, yet Ryan can be forgiven if he ever doubted himself. No need. He has been riding as well as anyone over the past few months, and the length-and-a-half success aboard Shaquille – not for a big yard, but that of an underdog form Norton, North Yorkshire – was testament to his immense ability.

He had only come in for the ride after Oisin Murphy, who was aboard when the colt had been victorious against his own age group in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, had been suspended.

And against the older horses not everything had gone to plan, with Shaquille falling out of the stalls and then lit up.

Ryan said: “I had to make a move in the middle part of the race – that was him. I had no option. I just let him blow out and grab his wind and he just went away.

“He doesn’t have to do anything right – he has got the ability.”

He added: “I didn’t have much of a choice. I tried to settle him in behind, but he wasn’t having it.

“So once he put his head in front three out, he filled up for me and I just managed to grab hold of him and pull him back a bit.

“Two out, he kicked and he stayed going. I saw someone out of the corner of my eye and he kicked again for me at the half-furlong pole. It was just an incredible performance.

“It is not like he’s shown up a bad field. And he’s doing it in a fashion.”

Ryan was full of praise for the Julie Camacho-trained three-year-old, who showed plenty of guts to fend off Run To Freedom.

But he had just one thing really on his mind, and he was abundant in his acknowledgement of his parents.

“It means the world – everything I’ve worked for,” Ryan said.

“Mum and dad starting me off at home, everything they have put into me, I can’t thank them enough.

“They are the backbone behind it all. They have kept me on the straight and narrow for so long.

“I am so grateful to them. It will mean a lot to them as well.

“It has been a big year. It is down to my agent and I couldn’t do it without him.

“I am looking to build on it every season and it is going the right way so far. I just hope we can keep it going.”

Injury and suspension aside, it would be a brave man to back against him doing that.

William Haggas’ Hamish maintained his flawless record at York to land the John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes.

The seven-year-old was the 4-9 favourite under Tom Marquand and brought to the Knavesmire two wins from two runs and a remarkably consistent record.

A past injury has prevented him from running on quick ground, but rain on Friday and a deluge on Saturday left conditions to his liking.

Throughout the course of the Group Three his chances did come under some doubt, however, as he looked further back than ideal heading into the home straight and had to throw down a challenge two furlongs from home.

Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan and Milton Harris’ Scriptwriter both battled all the way, but it was Hamish who prevailed when passing the post a head before the latter.

Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “He’s a great horse and he got Tom out of a bit of trouble today, they just went too slowly and he likes a fast pace but it all went all right in the end and that’s the main thing!

“We’re restricted to how we campaign him because of the ground, he’s had problems along the way so we need to keep him to slow ground – it’s got to have soft in it really.

“He’s a pretty nice horse, as a four-year-old he ran in the Hardwicke and ran a really nice race.

“That was when he injured himself, he’s a classy horse. We’re lucky that at the age of seven, I suppose because we’ve been restricted, he hasn’t got many miles on the clock and he’s still going strong. Last year he was a good as ever.

“It’s hard when you don’t run them and they stay at home doing the same thing, but we’re lucky that he’s pretty straightforward. We know him so well now that we can gauge what we should and shouldn’t do with him.

“He’s just a lovely horse and we’re lucky to have him.”

The weather will guide connections as to where Hamish runs next. He holds entries for the King George, the Irish St Leger and the Ebor.

Haggas said: “He’s in the Irish St Leger, he’s in everything in case it rains! He handles really horrible conditions whereas a lot of the classier horses don’t so we will see what the weather does and go where the ground suits him.”

Andrew Balding’s Nymphadora was a ready winner of the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes.

The bay was one of only two fillies in the field for the Listed five-furlong contest, starting at 7-1 under Jason Watson.

She broke quickly from the stalls and ran prominently, leading from a furlong out and then keeping on well to come home a length and three-quarters ahead of Karl Burke’s Silky Wilkie.

“We knew from her recent form that she’d want some cut in the ground and there’s been plenty of rain here today and the last couple of days,” said Watson.

“It’s really got into the ground and she’s got course form, she won the Marygate.

“She’s a classy filly on her day and when conditions suit.

“You can see from the physique she’s got that she’s quite well balanced, she’s not the biggest but she’s very well balanced and nimble on her feet.

“There’s hopefully plenty more to come.”

Blue For You outdid last season’s effort to land the John Smith’s Racing Handicap for Danny Tudhope and David O’Meara.

A 7-2 chance, the chestnut was second in the race when beaten just half a length and is another with a fine record on the Knavesmire, having been in the top two three times from four efforts.

That record was further improved this time when he ran a patient race to pull clear in the final furlong and prevail by a comfortable three lengths.

“It was grand, he’s a really nice horse and he travelled very nicely today,” O’Meara said.

“At Ascot last time he boiled over and probably ran his race before he got to the start, but he likes it here and could come back for the big meeting and go Goodwood in between.”

Specific Times then took the John Smith’s Nursery Handicap at 11-1 for Jason Hart and Charlie Johnston, after which the John Smith’s Stayers’ Handicap went the way of Robert Johnson for Connor Beasley and Phil Kirby as the 11-4 favourite.

Shaquille shot to the sprinting summit at Newmarket as Julie Camacho’s speedster doubled his big-race tally in the Pertemps Network July Cup Stakes.

The three-year-old was competing in handicap company on the weekend of the opening Classics of the season – but he has since announced himself as a star of the division and having taken the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, he took the sting out of his elders here on Newmarket’s July course.

In scenes reminiscent of Ascot, Shaquille bunny-hopped as the gates opened, giving away plenty of ground.

However, while at Ascot Oisin Murphy had time to creep his way into contention, Shaquille was not hanging around on the wide expansive track at HQ on this occasion and pulled his way to the front to eyeball the front-running Art Power.

With two furlongs to run Rossa Ryan let the 5-2 joint-favourite have his head and the duo soon set about putting the race to bed.

Although Henry Candy’s Run To Freedom and Ralph Beckett’s Kinross were breathing down his neck in the final furlong, Shaquille was never slowing down and kept on strongly in the closing stages to come home a length-and-a-half clear of the runner-up.

Shaquille had given his Yorkshire-based team of Camacho and her husband Steve Brown their first Group One victory at Ascot and after quickly doubling their tally, he provided his jockey with his finest hour, too, with Ryan, who only picked up the ride on Thursday, tasting top-level success for the first time.

It could be the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock next and both Betfair and Paddy Power make the winner their 7-4 favourite.

Biggles was rewarded for his consistency in landing the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket, with Ryan Moore again superb in the saddle.

The six-year-old showed plenty of distain for his rivals, drawing readily clear in the seven-furlong contest after hitting the front inside the final furlong.

The Ralph Beckett-trained gelding won four times last year on different ground over seven furlongs, with his trainer adding that he had got it wrong when sending him over an extended mile earlier in his career.

Runner-up in the Victoria Cup at Ascot, he returned to the Berkshire track and finished ninth in the Buckingham Palace at the Royal meeting.

However, he never looked in any danger once Moore got into contention on the rain-softened ground and the 5-1 shot had two lengths to spare over Ropey Guest, who was occupying the same position as 12 months ago. Awaal, the 7-2 favourite, was a head back in third.

Beckett said: “He has been a phenomenally consistent horse all his life. I got it wrong a couple of times.

“I was really pleased with the way he was going today. He jumped a bit keen and Ryan had to get him in behind one or two. Ryan thought he would win throughout.

“Rain really helped yesterday and last night. Actually, I’m not sure he needs it now, but he is more effective on it, I was just delighted with the way it worked out. When a horse is as consistent as he is, it is kind of hard to win these sorts of handicaps, isn’t it?

“He’s a model of consistency. I tried a mile and that wasn’t very clever, that didn’t work. He has always been capable of doing this, I just had to place him to do it.

“Maybe he will go to Ascot at the end of the month for the International (Handicap), but that’s quick for him. I don’t know.

“He needs a strong gallop, so do we go up to small fields and stakes races? Will that help? Six or seven (furlongs), really. I’m not going a mile again, but we’ll enjoy today.”

City Of Troy shot to the top of next year’s 2000 Guineas betting after confirming his class with a destructive display in the bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the regally-bred son of Triple Crown hero Justify looked a real talent on debut at the Curragh earlier this month and immediately took the jump up to Group Two level in his stride as he dazzled on Newmarket’s July course.

Having travelled like the consummate professional in the early stages of this seven-furlong event, Ryan Moore wasted little time in asking his mount to stride on passing the two-furlong marker, where the response was electric as he soon took lengths out of his rivals.

Moore kept up the momentum inside the final furlong as City Of Troy skipped further and further clear of his pursuers, with six and a half lengths separating the Ballydoyle youngster and Richard Hannon’s Haatem in second at the winning post.

His effort saw him leap over stablemate River Tiber at the head of the Classic market, and already-short post-race prices for the Guineas quickly came under pressure, with Coral’s 7-2 not lasting long before becoming 5-2. Paddy Power quoted 4-1 about the Derby.

O’Brien said: “He’s unusual. Very unusual. It’s unbelievable, really. Dean (Gallagher) rides him out every day and has done a wonderful job. He’s just so natural. He has an unbelievable rhythm and an unbelievable mind. He looks a very special horse.

“He floats effortlessly. He is very happy to get a lead, very happy to go forward. Ryan said it never happened to him before what happened at the Curragh the last day going to the wall. He said he wasn’t going to get him pulled up.

“Even today, crossing the line, he was still heading off. He will be better on top of the ground – he’s a good-ground horse.

“I came here not to run him (because of the easy ground), but the lads said let him run, because we have to find out for the future because if the ground does turn what we can do. So, it was the right decision, I’m delighted for them.

“He’s after travelling now, that’s what we always try to do. He obviously has all the races now as he matures, the Futurity, the National Stakes, the Dewhurst, all those sort of races are open to him now.

“Obviously, as you can see, he has loads of speed, so a mile should be no problem to him. The way he cruises, and with his action and everything. We know about Justifys, they are all Classic-bred horses. It is very exciting, really.”

He added: “He is a lovely looking horse. We have River Tiber and some lovely horses. They are obviously a nice team of horses there, so I’m delighted for the lads.

“He kept going again, didn’t he (after the line)? He is just unusual. Very unusual.”

Pride Of America just held on to prevail in a thrilling finish to the John Smith’s Cup at York.

Trained by Amy Murphy, the six-year-old has always been a solid operator for the Southgate Stables handler and was seen to good effect landing a competitive Chester handicap earlier in the campaign.

Out of luck when tackling Group company in France last month, Pride Of America was sent off at 18-1 to bounce back on the Knavesmire off a career-high rating and pulled out all the stops when it mattered.

Having shadowed Andrew Balding’s Nobel to near the head of proceedings entering the home straight, he was soon embroiled in a sustained battle with that unexposed four-year-old and Ed Dunlop’s Haunted Dream.

Entering the final furlong Nobel’s challenge began to falter and although Pride Of America appeared to have Haunted Dream covered, it was Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Astro King who emerged on the scene under with looked a winning run.

There was little to separate the pair as they flashed past the winning post, but it was the mount of 3lb apprentice Frederick Larson who got the nod after a tense wait for the photo-finish, with a nose the official winning distance.

Murphy has won a Grade One over fences thanks to the popular Kalashnikov and has also tasted Listed success in France, but the win marked the biggest Flat success of her career on home soil.

She said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic, there’s no better feeling than when a horse like him, who takes a lot of training and managing, grabs a big prize like that.

“It’s unbelievable and I’m thrilled for the owners and the whole team.

“This has been his target since March, but he does need a bit of cut in the ground. I couldn’t imagine we were going to get cut in the ground in the middle of July, it was a bit of a worry and no one was doing a bigger rain dance than me!”

Of the wait for the photo to be announced, she added: “It was horrific! You can probably tell from my voice that I’ve probably done a lot of screaming in the last five minutes, but thankfully it’s gone our way.

“The owners are my biggest supporters and I’m just thrilled to be able to repay them.

“Today was the target, we’ll just enjoy today and worry about the rest afterwards!”

The Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes invariably produces some nice types and the aptly-named Race The Wind could prove to be another after she made light of very blustery conditions to score with some ease at Newmarket.

William Buick always had the Charlie Appleby-trained daughter of Too Darn Hot to the fore in the seven-furlong contest, in which Aidan O’Brien’s Content was a non-runner, and took advantage of a stands rail passage to account for the promising Get Jiggy With It by three-quarters of a length.

Though Buick felt the winner was coming to the end of her tether in the closing stages, owing to the rain-softened ground, she clearly showed improvement from finishing fourth to stablemate Dance Sequence on her first run over course and distance a fortnight ago.

After welcoming in the 5-4 favourite, Appleby said: “It has been one of those weeks. We have started the first race with a winner and been chipping away since!

“She’s a nice filly, who showed a little bit on her first run. She is still weak, but she used that experience to good use there and travelled nicely.

“You’d toy with whether you should come back in trip, but it is probably weakness to be fair. Maybe we will give her a little bit of time to fill that frame a bit.

“Looking at her, time won’t do her any harm. Even when she ran here in her maiden, which we won with a nice filly in Dance Sequence, James (Doyle) just thought she wasn’t the strongest just going through the line. She has obviously got a nice engine.”

He added: “I think a mile will probably be her maximum. I think we will stick to the seven (furlongs) this year and we might toy with a stiff six.”

Appleby, Buick and Godolphin were on the mark again in the bet365 Mile Handicap when top-weight Highbank decided it was one of his going days.

Though he had acquitted himself well in three starts in Dubai, he had been well held in the Britannia at Royal Ascot.

Buick rode him with confidence this time and the 11-1 shot drew readily clear to score by three lengths from Quantum Impact.

“He is a bit of a character, to be fair,” said Appleby. “He broke his maiden here very impressively last year and everyone was getting quite excited after that. But he never really fulfilled the potential we thought he might have.

“The intention was to drop him in and ride him with plenty of confidence and see whether he wants to participate or not at the business end – and thankfully he has.

“We haven’t really got any future plans. We were looking at Dubai again, needless to say. That will probably be his future.

“He has always had the engine – it has always been whether he wants to do it, is the honest answer.”

Naomi Lapaglia is highly regarded by trainer Richard Spencer and while she has taken time to flourish this season, she took the Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa Fillies’ Handicap in good style under experienced South African jockey Greg Cheyne.

Down the field in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, she also produced a lacklustre effort at Goodwood, but relished this drop back to seven furlongs to score by a length from In These Shoes at 5-1.

Spencer said: “She has got a lot of talent, but things haven’t really gone right. We didn’t get a run into her before the Guineas which showed, as she was gassy and ran with the choke out.

“She has got it all together today and done it well. We will go little steps with her, but hopefully she will end up being in black-type company towards the end of the year.”

Asadna could head to France for his first run for Alice Haynes after he produced a solid piece of work over six furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday morning.

A runaway Ripon winner on debut, he was subsequently ninth of 20 to River Tiber in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Mehmas colt, owned by Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, then joined Haynes from fellow Newmarket trainer George Boughey last month.

Haynes is just getting to know him and has given him an entry in the Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury next weekend.

However, he is more likely to head to France.

Haynes said: “Asadna has done two pieces of work for us now, the first on the Watered Gallop yesterday. I liked what I saw. We gave him a Rose Bowl entry today.

“It will be a case of seeing what the ground does – he needs top of the ground, so we could be going for a Group Three in France at the end of the month, or Goodwood.

“We will see what the ground does. He worked six furlongs under Kieren Fallon this morning.

“I think the Rose Bowl could be an option, although it comes slightly quickly. He will do another piece on Tuesday and see, but the main thing is he definitely needs good to firm ground, which I’m not sure we will (get) – it keeps raining, doesn’t it?”