Messi looks at home in Miami already as he takes his family grocery shopping

14 July 2023 , 12:23

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EXCLUSIVE: Lionel and Antonela Messi go grocery shopping with their children at Publix Super Market in Palm Beach

Superstar Lionel Messi blended into the crowd as he shopped for his groceries in Miami as he embraces the quieter life ahead of his landmark switch to MLS.

The Argentine legend jetted into Fort Lauderdale on July 11 after enjoying a well-deserved family holiday in the Caribbean at the beginning of the month following the conclusion of his Paris Saint-Germain contract. A blockbuster move to Inter Miami beckons for the 36-year-old and it appears that he is quickly settling into his new home city.

He is expected to receive a rock star-like reception when he is presented to the Florida franchise's supporters at DRV PNK Stadium on July 16 alongside fellow former Barcelona ace Sergio Busquets. The long-awaited event is expected to be witnessed by thousands of supporters - with season ticket holders allowed into the event for free - and the arena's capacity has been expanded by 3,000 to help cope with demand.

The spectacle has tentatively been dubbed "The Unveil" and the Herons have teased entertainment as well as on-pitch speeches as they roll out the red carpet for their sensational new recruits. However, despite the fanfare, the World Cup winner has already showed he content with leading a humble life in the Sunshine State.

Following his appearance at a Miami restaurant alongside his father, wife and their three children earlier in the week, the iconic winger has now been spotted picking up some essentials at a Publix grocery store in South Beach. Seen pushing a trolley, he seemed to have picked up some classic American delights along the way in the form of Lucky Charms cereal, and was seen joking with his children as they browsed the products available.

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His son was seen wearing a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt, which comes after the superstar had a sandwich named after him at the world-famous restaurant. The intriguingly-named “Made For You by Leo Messi” meal will be on sale at the chain's eateries and features thinly pounded chicken cutlets.

Messi looks at home in Miami already as he takes his family grocery shopping

EXCLUSIVE: Lionel Messi showed hes starting to adjust to life in America as he went to a local grocery store in Miami with his family. The superstar soccer player, who is set to earn a reported $54million per year, looked like any other shopper as he pushed a cart around a Publix supermarket. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was accompanied by his wife Antonella and and their three sons, Thiago, 10, Mateo, seven, and Ciro, five. The Argentinian World Cup winner was seen picking out different types of cereal boxes including Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops. 13 Jul 2023 Pictured: Lionel Messi; Antonela Roccuzzo. Photo credit: Backgrid/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

His family appeared to be in good spirits, with the couple's youngest son having been spotted asking his father for some Crunch cereal, with the former Camp Nou hero being only happy to purchase the breakfast item. Largely left to their own devices, Messi's son even gave a wave to the camera, showing their ease during the public appearance.

As the Messi family headed towards the checkout desk, they were spotted once more but no more than a handful of people made the connection that they were in the presence of one of the world's most famous people. Amazingly, he was able to leave the store with zero fanfare, with the parking lot completely deserted, which will be a novelty for the megastar.

Of course, with an annual salary worth in excess of $50million (£38m), before even mentioning lucrative commercial deals with brands such as Adidas and Apple, he could afford to splash out but it seems that the world-renowned icon is keeping his feet on the ground. Given the extent of his profile it was unlikely that he would have escaped without being recognised and members of the public did eventually approach him to ask for photographs.

One supporter looked particularly thrilled as she turned away following her brush with sporting royalty, punching the air with a smile beaming on her face. Messi does seem to be at ease in these situations as well and demonstrated his comfortability after being swarmed when leaving Cafe Prima Pasta in his first week in Vice City.

In that instance, he had endeavoured to depart the eatery via the back door but it was to no avail as a group of fans soon rushed over to ask him for selfies and autographs. Showing this is all in a day's work, he duly posed for photographs including with one enthusiastic youngster who planted a kiss on his cheek.

Of course, after nearly two decades of being mobbed wherever he went in Europe, it seems that Messi and his young family are quickly embracing a new pace of life stateside. On top of this, the transition will be made a lot easier by the fact that they already own a property in the area.

The Argentina talisman has previously spoken of his desire for a lifestyle change as he plays outside of Europe for the first time in his glittering club career. He previously told Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo: "After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day-to-day life more. Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to win, and to do things well, but with more calm."

Tom Beattie

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Superstar, Major League Soccer, David Beckham, Inter Miami, Lionel Messi