Lionel Messi’s family has made the journey to the United States to join the football icon at Inter Miami, where he has already made an impact in Major League Soccer (MLS).
At 36 years old, Messi bid farewell to European football during the summer after leaving a lasting legacy at Barcelona. His remarkable journey began in the youth ranks of the club, leading to a highly decorated period at the Camp Nou.
Following his time at Barcelona, Messi spent two years at Paris Saint-Germain in France, securing two Ligue 1 titles. However, he was unable to replicate the Champions League success he had achieved at Barcelona while at the Parc des Princes.
In the latter stages of his illustrious playing career, Messi has embraced a common path by venturing into Major League Soccer (MLS) with Inter Miami, a team owned by David Beckham.
Lionel Messi’s short time with Inter Miami has already yielded success, showcasing his impact in just a matter of months.
His newly joined team achieved victory in the Leagues Cup by triumphing over Nashville in a penalty shootout. Moreover, Inter Miami has swiftly reached yet another final, this time in the US Open Cup, following a hard-fought win against FC Cincinnati.
However, the journey was not without its challenges. Inter Miami faced a tough task as they were trailing by two goals but managed to stage a comeback and force the game into extra time, ultimately ending in a 3-3 draw.
Messi notched two assists in the encounter and scored his penalty as Inter Miami won 5-4 in Ohio in the shootout to progress to the final against Houston Dynamo.
Following the victory, Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo took to the pitch to join the celebrations and sought out her husband to congratulate him.
Footage showed her thinking she had clapped eyes on Messi and went in to hug him – only to realise at the last moment it was actually Messi’s former Barcelona and now Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba.
Antonella thought Jordi Alba was Messi 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/hRoDwBtP0Q
— Sara 🦋 (@SaraFCBi) August 26, 2023
The defender made the switch to the MLS side over the summer after his Barca contract was ended a year early.
And Roccuzzo approached Alba with arms stretched ready to embrace him, only to realise moments before that it was not her husband and instead, the duo had a half-hearted hug, but appeared to recognise the mistake and laugh it off in good spirits.