MIAMI — Rodrigo De Paul, Inter Miami’s latest high-profile signing, explained what lured him away from Spanish club Atletico Madrid as he met with the media for the first time on Friday, on the eve of Miami’s second Leagues Cup game against Mexican club Necaxa.

The decision came after many conversations with Lionel Messi, who is his close friend and teammate on Argentina’s national team, and a heart-to-heart talk with Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni.

De Paul, a 31-year-old midfielder nicknamed “El Motorcito” for his tireless work rate, joined Miami on a four-year loan-to-buy deal that runs through 2029. He is on loan for the remainder of this season, and Inter Miami will make the transfer permanent for the following three seasons.

De Paul made his debut Wednesday in a 2-1 League’s Cup win against Atlas. He played the full 90 minutes in sweltering heat and humidity, despite not having trained with the team prior to the game. He completed 54 of 58 passes, several of them to Messi.

“Leo and I always dreamed of playing together in a club, to hang out every day together,” he said. “Every time we were together on the national team, the day-to-day was incredible, but it always ended up feeling too short.

“I wanted to see what it was like to train and play every day with the best player of all.”

But first, he wanted to get assurance from Scaloni that leaving Spain for MLS would not hamper his chances of being a key figure on Argentina’s national team.

“For me, the most important thing of all is the Argentina national team,” De Paul said.

“He was very honest with me. He told me, ‘I know what you can give me on the field. I know who you are. I’m only going to evaluate what you do on the field. As long as you play and you’re feeling well, I know the class of player that you are.’

“Those are the words I needed to hear to make my decision final.”

De Paul, who won the World Cup and two Copa Americas with Messi and Argentina, said he had a few offers to stay in Europe, but was intrigued by the chance to play in Miami, a city he loves, alongside his close friend Messi and help raise the profile of MLS around the world.

“I want to learn about this league and be a part of its growth,” he said. “Inter Miami is starting to write history here, and I want to be part of that and set a precedent so that players don’t come here only for the end of their careers or as a trampoline [to Europe]. We want players to wear this shirt as a sign of commitment and love for the club and the fans.

“It would have been easier for me to stay in Europe a year before the World Cup, but I like challenges and have never been a conformist.”

The Miami Herald sat down with De Paul on Friday after the news conference, and he shared details about his life away from the field. Here is what we learned:

De Paul’s family

His parents separated when he was very young and his mother, Monica Ferrarotti, was largely responsible for raising him and his two older brothers, Damian and Guido. She remains a big part of his daily life and was at Chase Stadium last Saturday for his introduction ceremony and jersey presentation.

“She worked her whole life to support us, and now she helps me with everything, she is the firm hand I need to handle so many things,” he said.

His eldest brother, Damian, is a systems analyst and his middle brother, Guido, is a physician who also is a talented artist.

“They went in a different direction from me; I struggled in school when I was young,” De Paul said. “My attention and energy were always on football. Education is very important, it helps prepare you for life, but my head was always on football.”

He didn’t play any other sports, though he is an avid tennis fan.

Passion for fashion

Asked what he would be if he were not a soccer player, De Paul gave it some thought and replied: “I get asked that question all the time, and I can never come up with an answer. I can’t picture myself doing anything else. I guess fashion is the one thing that has always interested me.

“I always paid attention to clothes. It’s something that makes me relax. It’s one of the few hobbies I have, to go look at clothes, see how people are dressed. That has always brought me peace. Over the years I have incorporated that into my life and it has become a passion.”

Beckham’s influence on De Paul

“What I like a lot about David Beckham is how he connected fashion with football,” De Paul said. “People would see a photo of him dressed a certain way, wearing a certain hairstyle, and would suggest that it affected how he played, but he was confident enough to know he could be a serious player and have another interest, and one had nothing to do with the other.

“I loved how he fused the two and I always followed him.”

De Paul was such a big fan of Beckham’s that he wore similar hairstyles, from bleached blond to braids to a thin headband, and chose to wear No. 7 as an homage to the English legend.

De Paul’s tattoos

Like Beckham, De Paul is known for his many tattoos. His entire back is covered with the face of a tiger. The date Argentina won the World Cup, 8-12-22, is inked on his neck. His left arm features elaborate artwork of a giant ship, a compass, a lighthouse and a map of South America.

Other tattoos include portraits of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, a soccer ball, the Argentine soccer federation crest, rosary beads, a rose, a bird and a heart.

He got his first tattoo at age 14, on the left side of his chest, over his heart.

“My first was my mother’s name [Monica],” De Paul said, smiling. “I did it for her birthday. She got a little mad, because I was so young. But after awhile she liked it. And that’s where it started.”

He doesn’t know how many tattoos he has at this point, but said there is some room left on his lower right leg to add art from the Inter Miami stage of his career.

“I hope to have several, as I want to win many titles here.”

His love for Miami

De Paul first visited Miami in 2011 or 2012 and continued to come for vacations ever since.

“I love Miami, love the energy, the lifestyle,” he said. “I always had the dream of being able to spend a few years living here, and then my friend, Leo [Messi] came here to a club that wants to be a giant, and I was fortunate to be able to join him, and I am very happy.”

He said he doesn’t eat out much and prefers to dine at home. He likes going to the beach, but for now, with the team’s busy schedule and games twice a week, “I prefer spending time on the sofa.”

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