Lionel Messi is due to make his Inter Miami debut on Friday against Mexican club Cruz Azul, but the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner may be limited to a role off the bench. The Argentine arrived in South Florida last week with a wave of enthusiasm and was presented to fans at a special stadium event on Sunday. But since the initial hype, when club owner Jorge Mas described him as “America’s number 10” and promised the move would “change the football landscape” in the US, there has been a noticeable change of tone.
Messi only started training in earnest this week after spending time with his family on holiday and the opening match of the new Leagues Cup – which brings together MLS and Liga MX teams in a tournament format – may come too early for the World Cup champion to start.
Co-owner David Beckham said on Tuesday that Messi will play “part of the game” and coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, Messi’s compatriot and former Barcelona coach, had suggested he start on the bench.
During the pre-match press conference, Martino moved to the performing arts center in downtown Fort Lauderdale due to the massive media attention, saying they would make a decision on whether to use Messi after practice on Friday. “It’s very hard for people not to have expectations,” Martino said, “but it can take a while.”
Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, a former teammate of Messi from their glory days at Barcelona, certainly doesn’t feel ready for a full game in what will also be his debut.
“I need time to adapt. It would be practically impossible for me to play 90 minutes tomorrow,” he said.
The fact that fans paid around $250 for tickets to what has long been heralded as Messi’s debut means he will almost certainly take the field at some point.
Veteran Cruz Azul coach, Brazilian-born Ricardo Ferretti, laughed when asked if his team expected a meeting with Messi.
“If he didn’t play… it would be better. But they also have to think about something, why are there so many people here? Because of him, right?” said the 69-year-old.
But Ferretti, known as “Tuca” throughout his coaching career in Mexico, was a little annoyed that the game between the two teams was seen purely as one player’s debut.
“We will not face a single player. He does not win or lose alone. Football is a team sport. There are players who stand out and deserve emphasis, I agree,” he added.
“There are two institutions here: Cruz Azul is a historic team, one of the greats of Mexican football and Inter Miami is an important team in MLS,” he added.
The Inter Miami players who have not made the headlines in recent days have had a strange week with over 200 media outlets filming their training session on Tuesday.
A great teammate
But DeAndre Yedlin, the US international who played in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, said Messi fits into the dressing room quickly.
“He’s a great teammate. For the (presentation) event he had on Sunday, (striker Leonardo) Campana was looking for tickets and so he put it in the group chat. I didn’t even know Messi was in the group chat, but he immediately popped up and said ‘how much do you need Leo?’
“They know each other so off the cuff, but they’ve known each other for two or three days, but just to show that generosity is a great first example of who he is,” he said.
Martino said Messi looks happy in training and has noticed he seems more relaxed now that he has finally won a World Cup with his country.
“Leo doesn’t have a huge backpack that he had and he took it off seven months ago. I think we are in a great moment,” said the coach.
Busquets, who has been joined by another former Barca teammate in defender Jordi Alba, who signed for the club on Thursday, said it was great to be reunited with Messi.
“I am very happy to enjoy Leo as a teammate again. We have parted ways, but time gives us the chance to get back together. He is a great person.
“We are looking forward to playing with the best player in football history. I am very happy with everything. Hopefully we can take what we have done now to Inter Miami.”
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