Lionel Messi has enjoyed a promising beginning to his tenure at Inter Miami after his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer.
However, the legendary player, often referred to as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), is anticipated to miss some matches for his new club in the near future.
At 36 years old, Messi’s move from the French capital marked the conclusion of a two-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain. He transitioned to Major League Soccer (MLS) and Florida, joining Inter Miami, a club co-owned by former Manchester United winger David Beckham.
As Messi nears the twilight of his illustrious career, having achieved virtually every conceivable club honor, much of which was attained during his extensive tenure at Barcelona, where he emerged from the club’s youth ranks.
Messi has already secured a piece of silverware for his new club, contributing to Inter Miami’s triumph in the Leagues Cup by clinching a penalty shootout victory against Nashville SC. This victory marked the Florida-based team’s inaugural trophy.
In addition to this accomplishment, the Argentine international has propelled his team into another final. His contributions helped Inter Miami defeat FC Cincinnati in a penalty shootout, advancing them to the US Open Cup final where they are set to face the Houston Dynamo.
Messi’s MLS debut arrived recently, as he emerged from the bench after an hour and promptly found the net in a 2-0 triumph over New York Red Bulls.
Following this match, Inter Miami’s head coach, Tara Martino, acknowledged that the club must adapt to winning without Messi on occasion.
This is because the prolific forward will be called up to represent the Argentina national team during certain periods, while Inter Miami’s schedule will persist despite the absence of him and other players selected for international duty.
Speaking toUSA Today, Martino said: “The importance is that we value winning and winning this way because it’s something we have to get accustomed to. Leo is gonna miss at least three games.
“He’s gonna get called up by his national team and others too. We know that the team has to continue to win without them at times.”
Messi is poised to feature in Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers versus Ecuador and Bolivia in September, which will see him miss Inter Miami’s games against Los Angeles FC, Kansas City and Atlanta United.