Meet José Mas, Inter Miami Owner Who Along With Brother Jorge Persuaded Messi To Sign
Inter Miami has become a hot topic in the world of soccer with the recent signings of Laliga legends Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Lionel Messi. The club’s co-owner, former soccer player David Beckham, billionaire businessman and managing owner Jorge Mas and team owner José Mas were extremely happy after Lionel Messi’s performance in the first two matches for the team.
Here is Inter Miami owner Jose Mas’ reaction to the free kick and full time whistle. Just look at his face, it looks so forced and almost rehearsed. This is not the way to celebrate a last minute goal pic.twitter.com/qBJRy33653
— LLF (@laligafrauds) July 22, 2023
José Mas and his brother tirelessly worked for over three years to bring one of the world’s best players to their team. With the Mas brothers and Beckham leading the way, former Mexico head coach Tata Martino is in charge of the team affairs.
Who is José Mas?
José Mas is one of the most prominent Cuban-American businessmen in the US. He runs a construction engineering company along with brother Jorge Mas. While Jorge Mas was born in 1963, José was born in 1965, in Miami, Florida.
José is the current CEO of the firm and his brother Jorge Mas is the Chairman of the Board of Companies and former CEO of Coral Gables-based MasTec. According to as.com, MasTec reported revenue of $9.8 billion in 2022. Additionally, Jorge Mas is also the president of the Spanish Second Division club Real Zaragoza and the Cuban American National Foundation.
What is José Mas’ net worth?
According to as.com, José Mas’ net worth is reported to be around $341 million. However, the publication mentions that the actual figure may be higher when other stocks and shares held by Mas are taken into account.
The fortune of the Mas brothers is owed to their Cuban father Jorge Mas Canosa, who came to the US after he was exiled from Cuba due to his opposition to the government of Fidel Castro. He founded MasTec, a construction and engineering company, which is now the second-largest Hispanic-owned company in the US. The multinational company provides installation, construction, and maintenance services.
Inter Miami ownership and signing of Messi
The Mas brothers acquired 90 percent of Inter Miami’s shares in 2019 with Beckham keeping the remaining 10 percent. Since then, putting Messi in the Inter Miami shirt was in the works as he had the potential to turn MLS into the largest sporting event, Jorge Mas told El Pais in an interview. After the 2022 World Cup win with Argentina, Messi announced that he will continue his career with Inter Miami after his two seasons at PSG.
The strategy to bring Messi in finally worked after they created a contract that removed a traditional cash-for-services agreement in exchange for revenue-sharing agreements and an equity stake in the team, according to Bloomberg. Further, Messi was lured with multi-million brand deals as well.
Since his signing, Lionel Messi has already made a significant impact. In his first two matches for Inter Miami, he has scored three goals. The first was an incredible stoppage-time free-kick to help the team win 2-1 over Cruz Azul and then he hit the net twice in the 4-0 win over Atlanta United.
Jose Mas’ vision for Inter Miami
Jose Mas now has Lionel Messi and Apple Inc. on his side, and he is looking to make the business of US soccer a lot more profitable. His vision is that the international superstar will lure millions of new subscribers to the Apple TV+ streaming service while attracting Major League Soccer players the MLS.
Mas's Inter Miami soccer club is also expected to make millions from increased ticket sales and merchandise sales from the loyal fans of the soccer legend. As per Mas’ theory, the rest of the league will also see a knock-on effect from the hype around Messi.