Lionel Messi ended his career in European club football when he moved to American Major League Soccer club Inter Miami in 2023. The 36-year-old forward reportedly rejected a €400m offer to join Saudi club Al Hilal, deciding to join Inter Miami on a free transfer in a contract that will run until 2025.
“I’m very happy to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” the World Cup winner said in a statement from the club. “This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”
Moving to Inter Miami from Europe means Messi has left the spotlight of football. Most fans don’t know how he is doing or what’s going on in the MLS so we decided to assess his performance at Inter Miami.
2023
Messi had a dream debut for Inter Miami in July as he scored the winning goal; a last-minute freekick to give the Herons a 2-1 victory over Mexican club Cruz Azul in both teams Leagues Cup opener. Messi, who was brought in as a substitute, earned the foul himself about seven yards from the penalty box and delivered his signature left-footed curling free-kick to put the ball in the top left corner beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.
Messi led the Herons to their first trophy by scoring 10 goals in the Leagues Cup campaign in August 2023 finishing as the competition’s best player and top scorer. The arrival of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets enhanced Messi’s impact at Inter Miami and aided them in their Leagues Cup campaign.
In 2023, he recorded only one goal and two assists in the MLS; his most impactful performances came in the Leagues Cup campaign where he scored 10 goals in their run-up to the trophy.
2024
In 2024, he has already recorded three goals and one assist in three MLS matches as well as two goals and one assist in the Concacaf Champions Cup. His goal contribution tally in 2024 currently stands at seven with five goals and two assists in five matches.
Messi currently has a tally of 16 goals and 7 assists from 19 appearances for Inter Miami. He recorded four goals and three assists in the MLS, 10 goals and one assist in the Leagues Cup, and two assists in the US Open Cup
In general, Messi is doing well in the MLS. His arrival at Inter Miami has been impactful as he and his former Barcelona teammates; Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and now Luis Suarez are helping the young club to grow and develop their own football philosophy.
He already helped them win their first trophy and for a club that was formed in 2020, that’s a monumental achievement. If Messi stays, Inter Miami will see more success and more silverware. What do you think of Messi at Inter Miami?