Lionel Messi has many things to celebrate. The Inter Miami player played a key role in his team's ascent into the top 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and is also celebrating his 38th birthday.
One of the sweetest birthday messages was shared by his close friend and co-worker, David Beckham, who shared a tribute on Instagram. The post contains various images of himself and Messi over the years, including one where they played against each other, with Messi playing for Barcelona while Beckham played for Paris Saint-Germain.
"Happy birthday to the greatest," wrote Beckham. "Have the best day to the ultimate professional, player & person... Feliz cumpleaños mi amigo."
For his part, Messi was also celebrating a historic moment for his team and the MLS. In a post shared on his Instagram, he shared triumphant photos of his team celebrating their qualification after they tied with the Brazilian team Palmeiras.
"While we could have won yesterday, the truth is that we managed to qualify for the final sixteen, something that means a lot to us as a club. It's a historic step for Inter Miami and the MLS," he wrote in Spanish in the post's caption.
The team is the only MLS team to have made it through the knockout stage.
What comes next for Messi
As he celebrates his team's qualification to the group stage, Inter Miami will be playing against PSG, Messi's previous team. While Miami is the underdog, the game promises an exciting reunion between Messi and his former coach Luis Enrique, who's currently the coach of PSG and worked with Messi in Barcelona, winning many tournaments alongside each other.
“Once the game starts, it’s about going toe-to-toe, trying to beat them, and why not? This is football – let’s see how far we can go," said Inter Miami player Jordi Alba to DAZN.