Argentine football star Lionel Messi was officially presented at his new club Inter Miami on Sunday night, after signing his contract on Saturday. He was greeted by thousands of fans at the Fort Lauderdale DRV PNK Stadium, despite the thunderstorm that delayed the much-awaited event.

The new face of Major League Soccer (MLS) was introduced to a packed stadium amid frenetic chants from the fans. The event, called “The Unveil”, started two hours late. Fans had taken cover in the surrounding area or in their cars, waiting for the rain to stop.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and captain of Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad was presented with his No. 10 shirt at the stadium, and gave a brief speech in Spanish.

“I really want to start training, and competing. I really want to win and help this club keep growing,” he said.

Messi thanked the fans and the club’s majority owners José and Jorge Mas, as well former Manchester United player and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, for “making everything easy” and making him and his family feel at home.

“I am very happy to have come to this city with my family, to have chosen this project. I have no doubt that we are going to have a great time and we are going to experience very nice things,” he added.

After that, his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his three children, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, joined Messi and posed for pictures while fireworks lit up the sky.

“Leo, we are so proud that you have chosen our club for the next stage in your career,” Beckham said before Messi’s speech, describing his arrival as a “dream come true.”

Jorge Mas described Messi as “the best number 10 in the world,” before welcoming him to the playing field. “Tonight, we’re doing this Miami-style in the rain. This is holy water!” he said, referring to the pouring rain.

On Saturday, Inter Miami announced that Messi signed a contract that will keep him with the club through 2025. Messi will be available to make his debut on Friday in a Leagues Cup fixture against Mexico’s Cruz Azul.

He even hinted at the possible debut in an Instagram post. “The rain made it play out differently than what we had planned, but it was still beautiful […] We’ll see each other again on Friday…” he wrote, along with a wink emoji.