Prior to one of Inter Miami’s pivotal Leagues Cup 2023 quarterfinal match against Charlotte FC, Lionel Messi was holding the hand of a 12-year old girl in the tunnel leading out to the pitch. While the girl was likely unnoticed by most watching the broadcast, she had a connection to another soccer legend in the building.
For those who don’t know, prior to Major League Soccer matches, the players from both teams line up in the tunnel to enter the field and usually are escorted by young soccer players. For the leagues cup, the young children are wearing black shirts that say “Leagues Cup 2023.” But this Friday, the yong child escorting Messi wasn’t just any 12 year old. It was Harper Beckham, the daughter of David Beckham.
Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham, became an internationally known couple in the 90s while David was playing for Manchester United and Victoria was a member of the pop girl group Spice Girls. Since then, the couple have had four children with Harper being the youngest. Her other siblings are Brooklyn (24), Romeo (21), and Cruz (18).
The older siblings are active on social media. But their youngest sister is more sheltered, onl;y really being showcased on social media when her parents are proudly talking about how much she’s grown.
While most of the audience watching Friday night may not have noticed, Harper’s smile while escorting Messi was captured by all the cameras in the stadium. It’s a memory she will likely cherish as she gets older.