GOAL looks back at the incidents and tales from the player’s first month in Miami, both on and off the pitch.
The smile stands out the most because it hasn’t really left Lionel Messi’s face in the past month or so. It was evident at his unveiling, which if it had been held for any other player would have been a soggy disaster. You’ve seen it as he has celebrated with both old and new friends after each of the nine goals scored over the course of six games. And perhaps when he was with his three sons, who are also being introduced to a completely different way of life in South Beach, that smile was the widest.
Messi seemed to be enjoying fun for the first time in a long, and why wouldn’t he? It’s been a crazy month in Miami.
Inter Miami has advanced to the Leagues Cup final, where the team will try to claim its first-ever prize, with the Argentine taking the lead. Their fortunes have totally changed since Messi’s arrival. Although Miami feels like one of the biggest clubs in the world now that Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Tata Martino have joined the team, they were and still are technically the bottom-place MLS club.
Even though it’s only been a few weeks, it’s been quite the ride. Even though Messi has only been playing for a month, he has already produced enough memories and stories to last a lifetime.