Messi made quite an impact on the American soccer field, impressing and earning the respect of his Inter Miami teammates with his incredible skills and kind gesture towards them.
Messi made his way to America with an assurance to give his all for himself, his loved ones, and Inter Miami Club. Prior to his official debut with Inter Miami, Messi enjoyed some leisurely time riding the waves with his wife during a vacation in the Caribbean. David Beckham shared the exciting news of Lionel Messi’s decision to join Inter Miami for the first time.
It’s safe to say that Inter Miami fans are loving having Messi on their team. Following a couple of not-so-great years at PSG, Messi appears to be thoroughly relishing the experience of playing soccer in the land of star-spangled banners.
The cost to witness Lionel Messi’s first game for Inter Miami was remarkably steep. During his debut on July 22, he made a grand entrance onto the pitch in the 54th minute and caused quite a commotion at DRV PNK. In the 90+4 minute, he delivered an incredible free kick, securing a 2-1 win for Inter Miami over Azul Cruz.
The exquisite goal scored by David Beckham’s Inter Miami team brought tears of joy to the owner’s eyes, finally breaking the team’s 11-game winless streak. In the following game against Atlanta, Messi and his good friend Sergio Busquets started and made an immediate impact on the field. Messi scored two quick goals in the first half and provided an assist for a teammate, leading Inter Miami to a historic 3-0 lead at halftime and ultimately securing a convincing 4-0 victory. His impressive performance not only delighted fans but also caused a frenzy among sponsors like Adidas, who struggled to keep up with the demand for Messi’s number 10 shirts (which increased by 25 times). Furthermore, Messi garnered respect from his teammates for his generous actions. Defender DeAndre Yedlin shared a story in which new signing Lonardo Campana expressed frustration in the team’s WhatsApp group about getting tickets for his family to see Messi’s debut. To everyone’s surprise, Messi himself intervened and asked Campana how many tickets he needed, promptly providing them for his grateful teammate. This gesture highlighted Messi’s humble and team-oriented character, earning him even more admiration from those around him.
Yedlin, in a post-match interview following Inter Miami’s 4-0 victory over Atlanta, shared more details about the eye-catching pink-black headphones he was sporting, which represents the club’s colors: When asked about the headphones, Yedlin jokingly mentioned that it was a gift from Messi. Apparently, Messi had gifted the entire team with headphones during their debut match, although Yedlin wasn’t sure if Messi had purchased them himself. In 2022, after leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup, Messi also surprised his teammates and coaching staff with special gifts. They each received 35 24-carat gold iPhones, personalized with their names, shirt numbers, and the Argentina coat of arms engraved on them.
