Why has David Beckham demanded 'respect' from Inter Miami's rivals Minnesota United after Lionel Messi suffers heaviest MLS defeat?
Updated 12/05/2025 at 16:32 GMT+1
Since the arrival of Lionel Messi, fixtures against Inter Miami have been the first that many supporters of rival MLS clubs look out for on the calendar. On Saturday, it was Minnesota United's turn - to which they rose to the occasion and inflicted a 4-1 defeat on the David Beckham-owned team. And their celebrations sparked snappy criticism from the former Manchester United star.
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Inter Miami suffered their heaviest defeat while fielding Lionel Messi as they were routed 4-1 by Minnesota United on Saturday.
Messi, who joined the MLS club in 2023, played the full 90 minutes and scored early in the second half, but ultimately could not prevent his side from falling to the crushing defeat - with two goals either side of half-time from the hosts condemning Miami to their fourth defeat in their last five matches.
And it was a result the hosts seemed to particularly enjoy, with several social media posts after the game seemingly taunting the David Beckham-owned club.
Alongside a picture which captured Miami's dejection, with an overlay of Minnesota leapfrogging their rivals in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, the post was captioned "Pink Phony Club," in reference to Chappell Roan's hit song "Pink Pony Club," citing the pink of Miami's jerseys.
The provocative post sparked a response from Beckham in the comments section: "Show a little respect, be elegant in triumph," he said. But Minnesota's media team had not quite finished there.
Another post showed a banner which was held during the game, which read "History over hype, culture over cash," alluding to the Miami club's prodigious spending since it was founded in 2018, which has attracted players such as Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in recent years.
That again called Beckham into action as he defended his club: "Respect over everything," he commented.
It has been a difficult few weeks for Miami, who have been led by Javier Mascherano since his appointment as head coach in November.
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They were knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup via a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps, while also suffering two defeats in their last three MLS matches.
A 4-3 loss to FC Dallas saw Mascherano's side fumble a 3-1 lead, and they now sit fourth in the Eastern Conference - four points behind leaders Cincinnati.
Messi has still managed a strong return, scoring 10 goals in 15 matches in all competitions this term, and will have the chance to showcase his goalscoring form against elite clubs across the globe when Miami take part in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, taking place in the United States and starting in June.
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