Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami: Former Barcelona captain reunited with Lionel Messi

World Cup winner Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami and will occupy a Designated Player slot and is expected to join the team in the coming days.

The move will see the nine-time La Liga title winner reunited with former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi, who made the switch to the Major League Soccer side following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

"This is a special and exciting opportunity that I'm very excited to take. I'm looking forward to this next step in my career with Inter Miami," said Busquets, who announced his departure from Barcelona in May.

"I was impressed by the club when I came with Barcelona last year and now I'm happy and ready to represent the club myself. I can't wait to help bring the success that this ambitious club strives for."

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said about Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami: "I am excited to welcome Sergio Busquets to Inter Miami. Since day one we have set out to bring the world's best players to Inter Miami. Sergio's repertoire speaks for itself."

Sporting director Chris Henderson added: "We're very happy to bring somebody of Sergio's pedigree to Inter Miami. He is one of the smartest players to ever play the sport; he reads the game at an unprecedented level and impacts every facet of play.

"Sergio is a winner, a leader and a world-class talent, and we're excited to see him represent our franchise."

Prior to joining Inter Miami, Busquets spent his entire professional career at FC Barcelona, coming through the renowned academy La Masia and becoming a legend of the club. The Sabadell, Spain native made 721 appearances for Barcelona over the course of 15 seasons, the third most of any player in the club's history. In that time, he scored 19 goals and registered 40 assists.  Notably, Busquets was managed by Inter Miami CF head coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino in the 2013-14 campaign, winning the 2013 Supercopa de España together.

Busquets also put together a historic national team career with Spain, helping guide the country to its most successful era. He started every match of the team's 2010 FIFA World Cup title run and played every minute of its 2012 UEFA Euro winning campaign. In total, he made 143 appearances for Spain, the third most of any player in the country's history.