Lionel Messi promised an even better second season at Inter Miami after showing off his Ballon d’Or trophy to fans.
- Inter Miami plays a friendly match against NYCFC
- Messi parades with the Ballon d’Or trophy
- Look ahead to next season
WHAT HAPPENED? Messi has made a huge impact in Miami and the MLS since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine superstar helped Miami to Leagues Cup glory, scoring ten goals along the way, securing the first piece of silverware in the club’s short history. Messi ended his first season on Friday with a friendly defeat against NYCFC, but he is already looking to the future.
WHAT DID THEY SAY? “First of all, I would like to thank you for coming, for this beautiful ceremony. For me it is incredible to share this moment with you. I have only been here for a short time, but it feels like a long time,” he said. “As I said at the beginning, I never doubted that we would enjoy our time here, and now I have no doubt that next year will be even better. We will continue to enjoy it, win titles and I hope that you can support us as you have done since I arrived here. It was incredible and next year we face important tournaments together. Thank you all and good night.”
THE BIG PICTURE: Messi also helped turn around Miami’s MLS season, with the team bottom of the table when he arrived, although an injury to their superstar ended their chances of making the playoffs. The arrival of his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba has also helped strengthen the team and much is expected from Miami next season, especially with the possibility of Luis Suárez playing alongside Messi in 2024.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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WHAT’S NEXT? Messi is preparing to join the Argentina squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil. The World Cup winner will then be able to enjoy some rare time off before returning to action with Miami in 2024.
Source: Goal