Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber has claimed Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami shows how far the American soccer league has come and lauded the Herons for the “fun” Barcelona reunion.
Lionel Messi Has Instigated A Mini Barcelona Reunion At Inter Miami
On July 15, 2023, arguably the greatest player in the history of soccer, Messi, joined MLS side Inter Miami as a free agent. The following day, his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets was announced as an Inter Miami player.
On July 20, 2023, another ex-Barcelona star Jordi Alba moved to the Sunshine State. Finally, on January 1, 2024, one of Messi’s closest friends, Luis Suarez signed a 12-month deal with Miami. Messi, Alba, and Busquets helped Miami to their first-ever silverware, the Leagues Cup, last season. It will be interesting to see if the Barcelona quartet can take them to their first-ever MLS Cup Playoffs at the end of the 2024 regular season.
Don Garber Says It Is Fun To See Messi And His Ex-Teammates At Miami
Discussing the progress MLS has made in recent times, Garber told ESPN (via GOAL):
“It’s important to remind ourselves and everybody else that having arguably the best player of all time in our league says a lot about where MLS is, and how far it’s come over the years.
“And I don’t think Miami is stopping, right? Signing Luis Suárez and putting together a bunch of guys that Leo has played with for so many years, I think is fun. It’s exciting.”
He continued:
“And I think we’re going to see just more energy, and lots more attention in Year 2. But the league has been signing really big-name international players for many, many years, and we’re going to continue to do that. But as importantly, focus as much as we can on not just the top of the roster and the players that will bring us attention around the world, but also young players both here in the U.S. and players from overseas.”
Messi missed seven of 13 MLS games in the 2023 season, primarily due to injuries. Despite playing so little, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was nominated for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Newcomer of the Year Awards. We can only imagine the impact he would have if he could keep himself fit for the entirety of the 2024 season.
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