Argentina superstar Lionel Messi who just made his Inter Miami debut on Saturday is set to lead the team as a captain ahead of his second appearance in the Leagues Cup, confirmed by coach Gerardo Tata Martino during a press conference on Monday.
Messi is also expected to start at Miami’s league cup game against Atlanta United scheduled on Wednesday where the duration he will play will depend on his health, Martino added.
Coach Martino was asked whether the world cup star Messi would lead the team in their next game against Atlanta, he affirmed that he was our captain in our last game too. Saying further he stated it is highly probable that Lionel and Sergio Busquets will play from the beginning and even for a longer duration together, but this might depend on how they feel.
Messi reunited with Sergio his former Barcelona teammate in their nail-biting clash against Cruz Azul, where the Argentina star led the team to a 2-1 victory by scoring a skilful goal in the game’s final minute. Inter-Miami Midfielder Robert Taylor helped the team to attain a 1-0 lead just before the referees blew the whistle for halftime. While Miami’s lead ended soon as the opponents scored a goal to equal the score 1-1 in the 65th minute of the game.
The 7-time Ballond’Or winner Lionel helped the team to earn 3 points in Major league soccer (MLS)points table by scoring a goal in the dying minutes of the contest. When asked about his thoughts on how the game was changed, Miami’s coach said that it is something chronic from Messi, and they try to normalize things that are not common for him.
Before Lionel, American right-back DeAndre Yedlin handled Miami’s captaincy and was replaced by Brazillian Gregore who recently got injured in March this year. Messi was Barcelona’s consistent captain during his tenure but was never officially appointed as the PSG skipper.
Argentina was also crowned as the champions under him during the 2022 FIFA World Cup which was held in Qatar. Former Barcelona defender Jordi Alba who just signed with Inter Miami is also expected to make his debut in their next game against Atlanta United. Lionel’s Miami will also aim to register another victory in their knockout game against Atlanta, the win will also help Miami to book a spot in the round of 32 in the Leagues Cup.
Is Inter Miami eyeing Luis Suarez?:
Inter Miami recently made a confirmation that they have obtained an international roster slot from San Jose in exchange for $150,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money (GAM). After acquiring Sergio and Jordi, Miami is eyeing to land Uruguay striker Luis Suarez on the roster.
The MLS clubs are allotted a certain number of overseas players with whom they can exchange players and the MLS transfer window will soon close on August 2, and they will soon have to decide between buying Suarez before the deadline. As per the reports Inter Miami have already used their slots and as a result, the team was forced to buy one more player and obtain Luis Suarez on the roster.
Luis Suarez and Messi have already shared the ground at FC Barcelona for six long years, during Saurez’s tenure he has contributed to the team winning four La Liga titles and one Champions League (CL). Luis who currently plays at the Brazillian football club Gremio, is aware of his interest in signing at Inter Miami.
Gremio coach Renato Gaucho stated that they want him to stay at the club, but the problem is under President’s hands and his job is to look upon the team. Suarez coming to Miami will have a significant impact on their attacking side.
