Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi kicked off his journey with his new team, Inter Miami, on Tuesday, actively engaging in his first full practice session with the Major League Soccer squad.
Together with his ex-Barcelona teammate, Spanish middle fielder Sergio Busquets, who became a Miami player on Sunday, Messi was greeted with a ‘tunnel’ welcome by his new squad.
His fellow players positioned themselves in two lines opposite each other, and Messi and Busquets made their entrance through the ‘tunnel’ while getting applause and friendly pats on the back from their teammates.
Engaging in a conversation with Venezuelan international Josef Martinez, predicted to be his offensive partner for Miami, Messi was observed by more than 200 media representatives who were present at the session while he partook in basic drills.
Messi was introduced to the club’s fans on Sunday at a festive event at the stadium, joined by Miami co-owner David Beckham.
His inaugural game is slated for Friday.
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Inter Miami prepares for Leagues Cup
Miami, currently at the bottom of the 29-team MLS, will be challenging the Mexican club Cruz Azul in the initial game of the brand new Leagues Cup, a tournament-style competition involving all premier league teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
Following his team’s continuous winless run now reaching 11 games, Martino did not dismiss the possibility that Messi might not be game-ready quite yet.
Messi’s last competitive match was for Paris Saint-Germain in the French league on June 4, followed by a friendly match representing Argentina against Australia in Beijing on June 15, where he scored within the first 79 seconds, contributing to a 2-0 victory.
Contrary to the majority of Europe, the MLS season operates from late February until the end of October, then comes the playoffs, and the championship match, MLS Cup, on December 9.
Although currently at the absolute bottom of the Eastern Conference with the poorest record in the league, Miami is not officially out of the running for the playoffs. Yet, it would require a monumental impact from the seven-time Ballon d’Or recipient to reverse their season’s course.
Messi’s Impact on MLS
Messi marks the most prominent star to sign with an American team since the legendary Brazilian player, Pele, joined the New York Cosmos in 1975.
The MLS anticipates that his presence will dramatically amplify the league’s interest, which includes teams from the USA and Canada, and consequently generate a substantial increase in their broadcast revenue with Apple TV.
The 10-year contract between MLS and Apple TV, valued at an estimated $2.5 billion, will enable Messi’s fans in 107 countries to witness his performance through a subscription.
