The star Lionel Messi His first match as an Inter Miami player begins on the bench this Friday, in the opening of the Leagues Cup against the Mexican team Cruz Azul.
Messi, 36, joined Inter Miami training earlier this week and hopes that this Friday he will have his first minutes of play in front of his new fans at the DRV PNK stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The veteran Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets, presented last Sunday along with Messi, also does not appear in the starting eleven of Argentine coach Gerardo Martino.
The participation of Messi and Busquets “depends a bit on how the game is, the circumstances. We have discussed it, we have disturbed it, we will find the best way for them,” Martino explained before the game in statements to Apple TV +.
Defender Jordi Alba, another of Messi’s former Barcelona teammates recruited by the Miami eleven, is not in the squad for the match, which began at 8:00 p.m. local time (00:00 GMT on Saturday).
This duel is the highlight of the opening day of the new Leagues Cup, a tournament that brings together the 47 MLS teams (United States and Canada) and the Mexican league for the first time. This competition, which will take place entirely in the United States and Canada until the final on August 19, will gain global appeal with the decision to
Messi to start a new stage in Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
luxury guests
LeBron James, Kim Kardashian or Becky G were just some of the celebrities who did not want to miss Leo Messi’s debut with Inter Miami this Friday.
Messi, who started as a substitute in his first game with the Florida team (against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup), melted into a big and affectionate hug with Lebron James, Los Angeles Lakers star, when he left the locker room tunnel to sit on the bench. For her part, the singer Becky G He was in charge of singing the United States anthem in the run-up to the match.
besides, kim kardashian She explained in the Apple TV+ broadcast that, although she is a fan herself, she came to this game mainly because of one of her sons, who is “obsessed with football.”
“I’m happy to be here with Victoria and David,” the model and television star also said in reference to the Beckhams. As one of the three owners of Inter Miami (along with brothers Jorge and Jose Mas), David Beckham lived an unforgettable day when he finally realized his dream of seeing Messi in the pink jersey of his team. And they didn’t want to miss the match either. Gloria and Emilio Estefan, two illustrious representatives of the world of celebrities in Miami.
SPORTS EFE AND AFP
