Inter Miami Signs Messi’s ‘Bodyguard’ Rodrigo De Paul

Inter Miami signs Rodrigo De Paul from Atlético Madrid on loan. The Argentine will reunite with his National Team captain, Lionel Messi.

Inter Miami CF received some good news on Friday, officially confirming midfielder Rodrigo De Paul’s signing from Atlético Madrid ahead of their game against FC Cincinnati.

The declaration came just hours after MLS suspended Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for the match, following their decision to skip the 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin, Texas, providing a much-needed boost to the crowd.

“Assembling a team that inspires our fans to dream continues to be one of our primary aspirations, so we’re thrilled to sign a player of Rodrigo’s caliber,” said Jorge Mas, the managing shareholder. “He is a winner who has conquered the world stage; his ambitions match ours at Inter Miami, and we are hungry to achieve these goals together.”

De Paul, 31, returns to Miami with one of the strongest résumé in MLS history, both at the club and international levels. He has been an integral part of Argentina’s success, including winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the Copa América championships in 2021 and 2024.

Meanwhile, he has made approximately 500 club games for Racing Club, Valencia, Udinese, and Atlético Madrid, scoring 57 goals and assisting 74 times in all competitions.

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🚨🤯Rodrigo De Paul Joins Inter Miami from Athletico Madrid #creatorsearchinsights #lionelmessi #intermiami #rodrigodepaul

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However, he joins Inter Miami on loan and will be compensated with Targeted Allocation Money, which means he will earn less than $1.5 million in 2025 rather than qualifying as a Designated Player. Miami already has Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets on DP contracts.

As part of the deal, Atlético Madrid extended De Paul’s contract until 2027 and loaned him to Miami with an option to buy for $17.6 million, according to reports, setting a club record transfer fee for the South Florida club.

De Paul joins Inter Miami with lofty goals of winning the 2025 MLS Cup and the 2025 Leagues Cup, as well as competing for the Concacaf Champions Cup and a second FIFA Club World Cup in the future.

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