Few predicted that three years after moving to Miami, Lionel Messi would be spearheading Argentina’s title defense and breaking records at his sixth World Cup.
After scoring six goals in the group stages, the 39-year-old will play his last round of 32 match against the tournament’s surprise package, Cape Verde, on Friday in the Florida city he now calls home.
Messi is currently on a record seven-game scoring streak in the competition and became the all-time best scorer in World Cup history with 19.
When the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner switched from elite European football to Major League Soccer after winning the World Cup in Qatar, many thought he was on the verge of semi-retirement.
However, Messi has exceeded expectations in terms of both his influence on American soccer and his capacity to continue winning international matches.
David Beckham co-owns Inter Miami, which was only founded in 2018 and had never taken home a title before he joined. One of MLS’s newest teams became a popular destination for European stars as soon as Messi arrived.
In his debut season, Messi led Inter to victory in the Leagues Cup, a knockout competition featuring teams in the MLS, Mexican, and Canadian leagues, with the help of his former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. Miami’s first MLS championship was won by Messi and the team last year.
A player who is regarded as the greatest of all time has an impact that goes much beyond the field.
“Messi marked a before and after for what soccer means here. From 2023 onwards, everyone became an Inter fan. We’ve really noticed it at the academy too. Many more kids have signed up to play the sport,” Juan Pugin, a coach at the Revo Soccer academy in Doral, near Miami, was quoted as saying by AFP.
