Lionel Messi has taken the whole world by storm since he made the shocking announcement to join the MLS, and American football fans are starting to learn why he is dubbed the sport’s GOAT.
After parting ways with PSG earlier this summer, the Argentine superstar was tipped to rejoin Barcelona, but there were too many complications for it to happen. Now that he’s in the United States, his next big challenge is to carry Inter Miami out of the rubble at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
He has already played for the Herons in the ongoing Leagues Cup, and he has been as good as advertised. More importantly, he no longer looks as miserable as he did in Paris.
Learn more about Messi’s MLS adventure as SBOTOP brings you the latest MLS 2023 news, with a particular focus on his current team, Inter Miami.
Magical Messi makes instant impact
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut was nothing short of a storybook tale.
Robert Taylor put the Herons up when he landed the first punch after 44 minutes, but Uriel Antuna answered back 21 minutes later. Inter Miami were in dire need of a spark, and it was Messi who delivered as he came off the bench.
It was a scene that we’ve already seen countless times before. Messi drew a foul only a few feet outside the penalty box, and then he stepped up for a free-kick using his magical left foot that, of course, went in the back of the net and brought the whole stadium into pandemonium.
Since he scored in stoppage time, Inter Miami came away with a 2-1 win against Cruz Azul.
Against Atlanta United a while ago, Messi was given his first start and the captain’s armband, and he showed everyone right away why he deserved it.
Atlanta became the 100th club that Messi has scored against, as he registered a brace in just 22 minutes to give Inter Miami a 2-0 lead.
After being set up by his long-time Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets, Messi actually hit the post with his initial shot but rebounded it to give his new club a 1-0 lead.
His second goal was on a counterattack to double the margin, with Robert Taylor notching the assist this time. Taylor also scored Inter Miami’s third to give them a 3-0 edge at halftime.
Messi returned the favour to Taylor as he found him in transition for Inter Miami’s fourth and final goal of the night before being given a standing ovation by the crowd when he was substituted in the 78th minute.
With back-to-back victories, the Herons now have six points to lead Group J, and the MLS 2023 odds like their chances in the next round.
Lionel Messi has yet to play an MLS match, but he could make his official debut in a home game against Charlotte FC on August 20.
Iniesta set to reunite with Messi?
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have joined forces with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, but rumours suggest that Andres Iniesta might be on his way to South Beach too.
Iniesta is currently a free agent after leaving Vissel Kobe in the middle of the team’s season this summer. He has seen his playing time dwindle, and in his final campaign, he was limited to only four J-League appearances.
The 39-year-old is a proven winner, and he won most of his honours alongside Messi at Barcelona, where they’ve played together 489 times. With the Blaugrana, Iniesta won four Champions League titles and nine La Liga championships, to name a few.
According to reports, Iniesta has agreed to join Inter Miami, and he’ll look to contribute because he has no intentions to retire from football anytime soon.
Is Suarez on his way to Miami too?
Inter Miami have secured an extra roster spot for another international player after buying a slot from the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for $150,000 in the 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM), and they reportedly have Luis Suarez as a candidate to take the said spot.
Suarez reportedly informed his current club, Gremio, of his desire to leave this summer. At Gremio, Suarez has scored 16 goals and nine assists in 31 games, although he has struggled with a knee problem since May. Like Busquets, Alba, and Iniesta, Suarez has a history with Messi as part of the famous “MSN” front three alongside Neymar. In his six years at Barcelona, Suarez has won four titles, including the 2014-15 Champions League.
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