Lionel Messi is known around the world for bringing smiles to fans’ faces with his magical soccer moves. But on Tuesday, away from the crowds and television cameras, the Argentine icon and his Inter Miami teammates offered a touching gesture that won’t appear in any statistics.
They granted the wishes of 23 seriously ill children from the United States and abroad whose greatest dream was to meet the Inter Miami team and its captain, Messi. The children and their parents, who traveled to Chase Stadium from as far away as Canada and Israel, were welcomed into a special suite at field level. There they received special gifts, including a team jersey signed by all the players and personalized with their names, as well as a carefully selected dining and beverage experience and other team merchandise.
They were then treated to a private viewing of an Inter Miami practice, followed by a meet-and-greet with the team, including Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Drake Callender, Benjamin Cremaschi and Julian Gressel.
“Everyone dreams of beautiful things when they go to bed at night, and we are very happy to have been able to help make these children’s dreams come true and support them through a difficult time,” said defender Marcelo Weigandt. Midfielder Yannick Bright added: “It was great to fulfil their wish, to have them meet their heroes and see them smile. We are very happy about that.”
Inter Miami partnered with Make-A-Wish and team sponsors Royal Caribbean and Fanatics to provide this experience. On Saturday, children and their families spent the day on the luxury cruise ship Icon of the Seas, where they enjoyed six water slides, swam in seven pools and watched a Wizard of Oz play. They also received special Fanatics merchandise.
“At the heart of Inter Miami’s ‘Freedom to Dream’ motto is the belief that we boldly pursue our dreams and support our fans and community in achieving theirs,” said Jorge Mas, Managing Owner of Inter Miami. “Joining together with our title partner, Royal Caribbean, and Make-A-Wish to make the dreams of these extraordinary children a reality is an inspiring reminder that soccer is more than just a game – it is a transformative force of joy, hope and connection. Through initiatives like this, we hope to harness the magic of Inter Miami to create memories and uplift our fans.”
Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean, commented: “For Wish Kids and their families, experiences they will remember forever can be life-changing, and that impact is at the heart of Royal Caribbean’s Wishes at Sea program and our multi-year partnership with Make-A-Wish. Being able to then join with our partners at Inter Miami CF on this mission is the hat-trick that ties everything together from the ship to the field in a beautiful way, and shows what the power of partnership and shared passion for community and families can achieve.”
@espnfcInter Miami players with Make-A-Wish kids ️ (via @InterMiamiCF) #messi memories – leadwave
