‘It’s a luxury to have him’: how Messi is building on Beckham’s legacy

Inter Miami's trip to LA represented a passing of the torch from the MLS's old glamor franchise to its new one

The atmosphere surrounding Lionel Messi's most recent match at the Dignity Health Sports Park featured the kind of energy, anticipation and hype that permeated the place when an England international called it home.

David Beckham, that international, propelled Major League Soccer into global significance during his 5 1/2 seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Messi - who became the first MLS player to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or last year as a member of Inter Miami - now becomes the league's focal point to expand that influence in his first full season.