The arrival of football superstar Lionel Messi at Inter Miami this summer has sent shockwaves through Major League Soccer. After two decades of dominance at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine icon has chosen to continue his storied career in South Florida.
For the existing Inter Miami squad, the opportunity to play alongside one of the greatest players of all time is nothing short of transformative. “It’s been incredible,” says midfielder Brandt Bronico. “Just being on the same pitch as Messi, seeing up close the way he moves, the way he thinks the game – it’s humbling and inspiring all at once.”
Veteran defender Damion Lowe echoes this sentiment. “You can’t help but raise your own game when you have a player like that next to you. Messi’s vision and passing ability means the ball is always finding you in the perfect position. It makes the game so much easier.”
Indeed, the statistics back up the notion that Messi’s mere presence is elevating his teammates. Inter Miami’s goals per game has increased by 0.4 since Messi’s debut, while their expected goals metric has risen by over 20%.
Perhaps most impressively, several of Messi’s new colleagues are experiencing career-best individual campaigns. Forward Robert Taylor has already matched his goal tally from the entire 2023 season, while young playmaker Gregore has more than doubled his key passes per 90 minutes.
“It’s not just the tactical and technical benefits of playing with Messi,” explains head coach Phil Neville. “It’s the confidence boost, the inspiration he provides. Guys who may have been just good MLS players are suddenly looking like world-beaters.”
With Messi orchestrating the attack, Inter Miami have surged up the Eastern Conference standings and are firmly in the playoff hunt. But the true legacy of the Messi effect may be longer-lasting – the opportunity to learn firsthand from a living legend could accelerate the development of the club’s young core for years to come.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” says Bronico. “To be able to call Lionel Messi a teammate, to pick his brain, to try and emulate even a fraction of his brilliance – it’s going to stay with us forever.”
