Lionel Messi officially joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. Messi immediately made a big impact, helping the team win the Leagues Cup just a few weeks after his arrival.

Not only does Messi bring with him the class of the greatest player in history, he also brings familiar companions like Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. This trio not only helps Inter Miami play better but also attracts the attention of global audiences.

Messi praised for turning Inter Miami into the Real Madrid of MLS

Speaking on the La Vinotinto podcast, striker Josef Martinez said: “When I first arrived at Inter Miami, it was like El Combate FC. But since the Messi deal was confirmed, the team went from being the worst in MLS to being the Real Madrid of the league.

Before Messi’s first training session, not even our Instagram followers knew who we were. Not even the club reporters came. It was also the first time I met my godfather, and people who had never known me started messaging me. There were 1,000 journalists outside, whereas before there had been maybe one. There were 50,000 people at the first training session. Everything changed overnight.”

Speaking about Messi, Martinez added: “He has won everything there is to win, yet he is still the first one to arrive at training. He may be the most disciplined, but he is very approachable, at least with me. That makes you feel like you have to work hard to reach his level. Before, there were players who couldn’t pass a ball.

Robert Taylor couldn’t score even with God by his side. But when Messi came, he became the team’s top scorer. Everyone’s level went up. From a team that no one watched, we became the talk of the town, unbeatable.”

Since Messi joined Inter Miami, stadiums across North America have been sold out. Top stars such as Derek Jeter, Serena Williams and LeBron James were all in attendance for Messi’s debut, where he joined Busquets and Martinez on the pitch before scoring the famous free kick.

Martinez recalled: “The day that impressed me the most was that debut. When Busquets, Messi and I came on the pitch, and Messi scored from a free kick. Derek Jeter, Serena Williams, LeBron James were there. If people like that come to see a player, you can imagine how great he is. Even my mother didn’t want to go to football matches before, but at that time, everyone wanted to go to the stadium.”

Messi continued to make history last season as Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield with a record points tally. He is now aiming for major honours in the 2025 season, with a 12-month extension likely to be activated in the near future.