Lionel Messi has won almost every soccer prize there is, but on Thursday he said that giving Inter Miami their first title ever would be “incredible” and “a beautiful thing.”
Before Messi came to South Florida last month, Inter Miami’s season had been a disaster. They were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in Major League Soccer, and they hadn’t won a single game.
But now everything looks better than ever.
Since his first game, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has been a terror. He has scored nine goals in six games, helping Miami reach the Leagues Cup final, where they will play Nashville SC on Saturday.
“Wow, that would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Messi told reporters through a translation that the win was “both for me and for everyone who supports the club.” “Winning a title would really help everyone who has made big changes at this club, helped it grow, and made the team a point of reference around the world.
“That would be really cool.
“After losing our last 10 league games, we knew we had a good chance to turn things around.
After two seasons with French winners Paris St. Germain and leading Argentina to victory at the Qatar World Cup in December, Messi has brought a winning culture to Inter Miami and put the soccer attention on a club co-owned by former England captain and Manchester United great David Beckham.
Messi said that neither he nor the rest of the team were surprised by the quick change.
The Miami club hired Argentine Gerardo “Tata” Martino as coach last month and brought in Messi’s former teammates from Barcelona, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. Their Leagues Cup run got them into the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Leagues Cup’s top three teams get to play in the CONCACAF Champions League, and the winner goes straight to the round of 16.
Messi said, “I came here with the goal of getting the same results I had gotten in the past.” Messi has won 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona, as well as the UEFA Champions League, the Copa America, and an Olympic gold medal. “But the fact that we’re about to play in a final is only a surprise to people who don’t watch us train or know what goes on in our daily lives.
“From our point of view, we think we are ready for this.
“We feel like we’re ready to compete and win this title.”