Lionel Messi’s arrival in Main League Soccer has rapidly grow to be one of the hotly-anticipated transfers in world soccer. However the Argentina legend can have his work lower out to benefit from the ranges of success he’s used to this season. The 35-year-old agreed to affix David Beckham’s Inter Miami this week after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain was allowed to run out on the finish of the Ligue 1 season.
Messi turned down a profitable provide to maneuver to Saudi Arabia and couldn’t agree on a possible return to his boyhood membership Barcelona, paving the way in which to a brand new journey within the MLS.
The all-time soccer nice could possibly be set to make his Inter Miami debut on July 21 in opposition to Mexican facet Cruz Azul within the Leagues Cup, however when he arrives in Florida he can have fairly a job on his fingers, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Sergio Aguero.
Though Miami has reached the US Open Cup semifinals, their league kind is a unique story. The struggling outfit is at present backside of the Jap Convention after 16 matches, with simply 5 wins all season.
Messi’s former worldwide teammate Aguero recognised the tall order going through his pal and informed ESPN Argentina: “I spoke to Messi yesterday, I despatched him a message with a screenshot of the Jap Convention standings and I mentioned: ‘Your group is behind! It’s important to transfer as much as eighth/ninth!’
“Messi cracked up. He mentioned, ‘We have now to make the playoffs!'”
The brand new system within the MLS sees the highest seven groups in every convention qualify routinely for the playoffs, whereas the eighth and ninth-placed groups should slug it out in a wild-card recreation.
Miami is at present six factors adrift of Charlotte FC, who occupy ninth place within the Jap Convention with a recreation in hand.
Assuming Messi’s contract is signed and sealed immediately, he can have 12 matches after the Leagues Cup encounter to attempt to reverse the membership’s fortunes. Aguero has additionally said that he expects Messi to reach within the US “mid-July”.
The MLS has already launched a press release welcoming the anticipated arrival of their league of one of many recreation’s true all-time greats.
It learn: “We’re happy that Lionel Messi has said that he intends to affix Inter Miami CF and Main League Soccer this summer time. Though work stays to finalize a proper settlement, we sit up for welcoming one of many biggest soccer gamers of all time to our League.”
Following the announcement of Messi, Inter Miami has already been linked with quite a few former Barcelona stars together with Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.