Lionel Messi made the switch to America this summer, signing for David Beckham’s MLS side Inter Miami.
The Argentine legend is arguably the best player to ever grace a football pitch, and he is expected to have a major impact for Inter Miami this season.
Inter Miami face Cruz Azul in the early hours of Saturday morning in the Leagues Cup and this is the game where Messi is expected to kickstart his career on American soil.
We discuss the biggest talking points ahead of Messi’s debut.
Instant impact against Cruz Azul?
Lionel Messi is fully expected to make his Inter Miami debut this weekend against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup group stage opening fixture at the DRV PNK Stadium, in a competition featuring teams from the MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
This game will be televised live on ESPN and the viewership for the match is expected to be considerably higher because it is Messi’s opening game for his new side.
Gerardo Martino, who managed Messi at both Barcelona and Argentina, will be hoping that the Argentine forward will make an instant impact and make a major difference to the currently struggling Inter Miami side.
Messi to be the difference this season?
Inter Miami are currently rock bottom of the MLS and are in terrible form, after they have won just once in their last 10 games in all competitions.
Messi had a good season last term for Paris Saint-German, after he featured 41 times in all competitions and managed to score 21 goals and chip in with 20 assists.
The Miami faithful will be hoping that Messi can continue this form in the rest of the campaign and help them climb up the table, whilst also potentially guiding them to some success in the cup competitions.
Attraction of playing with Messi
Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets has also signed for Inter Miami this season as they push to climb out of the bottom spot in the league.
Jordi Alba is another big name that is on the brink of signing a deal with the American side, so the ex-Barcelona trio will be reuniting for the remainder of the season.
After the arrival of Messi, this could attract more players that are currently playing in the European leagues to join them, as they will want to play with one of the best ever players.
How will Messi do on his debut? Bet on Cruz Azul vs Inter Miami at Bet9ja!
