Here is why Inter Miami’s Mexican playmaker Rodolfo Pizarro is on top of the world

Rodolfo Pizarro leaned back in a sofa on the balcony of his 49^th floor luxury Miami apartment Friday afternoon and opened up about soccer and life as he admired panoramic views of Biscayne Bay, Museum Park and futuristic skyscrapers.

From his perch, he has a clear view of David Beckham’s two-story penthouse but says he and his Inter Miami boss have yet to run into each other in their downtown neighborhood.

Never in his wildest dreams as a scrawny kid growing up in Tampico, Mexico, did Pizarro imagine he would someday be playing for and living across the street from a global soccer icon. But that is where the 27-year-old finds himself.

Known for celebrating goals by mimicking The Joker’s exaggerated grin, Pizarro has plenty to smile about these days.

The dynamic long-haired midfielder is about to begin his second season with Inter Miami and has been told by new coach Phil Neville that he will primarily be a playmaker and should expect to have the ball at his feet more. He should aim for 100 touches a game. That is music to Pizarro’s ears.

Pizarro has also become a mainstay on the Mexican national team and is traveling with “El Tri” in Europe for a pair of friendlies over the next 10 days. He left on Saturday for Cardiff, Wales, where Mexico will play Wales on Mar. 27 and then heads to Austria to face Costa Rica on March 30. He returns to Miami on Mar. 31, in time to train a few weeks before Inter Miami’s home opener April 18 against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

On Tuesday, Pizarro is announcing a shoe deal with Charly, a Mexican sportswear company looking to gain footing in the United States by signing the rising MLS star. He has a white pair and a pink pair to go with his Miami uniforms. Pizarro said he is extremely proud to represent a brand that is “100 percent Mexican.”

Although he embraces the blending of cultures in Miami, he remains deeply committed to his Mexican roots. His favorite local restaurant is Cantina La 20 in the Icon Brickell tower, the first U.S. import of the Mexico City-based chain.

His favorite musical artist? Luis Miguel, although he has been listening to a lot of Reggaeton since moving to Miami.

Where does he think he’ll end his career? “Back with Chivas or Monterrey,” he said.

Pizarro’s love affair with soccer began in Tampico, where he and younger brother Uriel kicked the ball around as soon as they could walk. Pizarro dabbled in judo and track and field and played six years of basketball. He remains a diehard basketball fan, follows the Heat and is eager to watch a game at AmericanAirlines Arena, which he can see from his balcony.

Though he loved basketball, there came a point where he had to choose between hoops and soccer, and soccer won.

He started with the youth team at Tampico Medero FC, and at 17 he joined Pachuca. He played four seasons with Pachuca — two of them under former Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso. In 2016, he was transferred to Chivas for a reported $15 million and two years later went to Monterrey, where he reunited with Alonso. Reports said his $16 million transfer fee was a record for Mexican inter-league transfer.

Every stop of his career he won titles, which is what led him to Major League Soccer.

“I wanted a change,” Pizarro said. “I had already won three championships with three different teams. I wanted a new league and new challenge. David Beckham spoke to me, I liked the project, so I came.”

After a squabble over the terms of his release from Monterrey, he joined Alonso for a third time. But the transition to MLS took some time.

“The soccer is very direct here, different from Mexico,” Pizarro explained. “Teams don’t like to have the ball a lot. It is more or less attack vs. defense, the ball goes directly from defenders to forwards, and they don’t utilize the midfielders as much. In Mexico, it’s a slower rhythm. A team can make 20 touches and not go to the attack. I like to have the ball a lot, but here it was quickly go to the area, go to goal. I had to get used to it.”

He said the pandemic took a toll on the team and players never had time to gel. They seem re-energized and committed under Neville.

“He has a different method,” Pizarro said. “He’s European, our previous coach was South American, so it’s different. He has told me I’m important to the team. He wants me to play the playmaker position, get to the area more. That is my natural and preferred position.”

It has been four months since Inter Miami’s last game, the longest layoff in Pizarro’s career. He said the two matches with the Mexican national team will help him get into game shape. Mexico has beaten Netherlands, South Korea and Japan in recent months, which is a sign of progress, Pizarro said.

“Before, the Mexican team always played in the U.S., played against Central Americans, and we were always like the home team,” he said. “Now we play more demanding overseas teams.”

He hopes that experience will translate to more goals and assists for Inter Miami. He had four goals and four assists in 20 games last season. He finally feels at home in Miami. In his free time, he plays tennis and padel with friends. He hopes to check out the Miami Open sometime.

“It’s a spectacular place, a city that has everything,” Pizarro said of Miami. “I like that you can find all the cultures here. And I don’t get recognized as much as in Mexico. I am just another person. I can eat dinner quietly, nobody bothers me. My life is calmer, and I am happy.”