Lionel Messi has enjoyed a successful career due to his ability to consistently produce special moments, and his influential spell at Inter Miami is no different as the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has breathed new life into David Beckham's franchise, who desperately needed it. With the 2023 MLS season coming to an end in October, Soccer Laduma's Kyle Lewis investigates the dismal situation the Major League Soccer side were in prior to the little magician's arrival, and how the Argentine turned his new club's fortunes around.
Miami in a mess
The world of football offers a break from the cycle of predictability, and as much as fans might like it to be otherwise, rarely can we be certain of what is going to happen. Except, it seems, when it comes to Lionel Messi, the superstar who has defied the odds throughout his career and continues to do so in the latter stages of it. In June, Inter Miami decided to part ways with head coach Phil Neville after his reign saw them languishing at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference table. David Beckham's project in Major League Soccer appeared to be heading in the wrong direction, but little did the supporters know that the club's fortunes were about to change dramatically. One month later, it was confirmed that Messi was joining the American side. The costly move was deemed a risk by some following the Argentine's "last dance" at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as there were suggestions that the legendary player had achieved everything and may not have the desire he once possessed.
Those who had assumed such have ignored many of Messi's former teammates and managers, including the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola, who all described the 36-year-old as a "competitive animal". In contrast, Inter Miami owner Beckham and others believed that Messi could turn the club's fortunes around, but nobody could have predicted just how influential the World Cup winner would be. Prior to the veteran's arrival alongside Barcelona legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami had suffered eight defeats in their previous 13 matches, and were on an embarrassing 11-match winless streak in the league. Just a week after joining his new club, Messi was announced in the matchday squad against Cruz Azul on 21 July. Forty-eight years after the late Pele joined North American side New York Cosmos to kickstart football in the United States, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner came off the bench to huge cheers. Messi, who has built a reputation for delivering in big moments, ended up scoring a dramatic 94th-minute winner with a gorgeous free-kick.
Tidy Messi cleans things up
The South American's heroics jump-started a 12-match unbeaten run that saw a team, who previously looked insipid and apathetic, make a complete U-turn. A lacklustre attack under Neville has turned into one of the MLS' deadliest frontlines under new manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino. At the forefront of it all was Messi, who racked up 11 goals and five assists in quick fashion. The variety of goals scored by the icon has perhaps also left viewers with the impression that he must seemingly have a mental book of finishes as it often feels like time stands still just before he shoots, with the nimble-footed player seemingly flicking through the pages before deciding how he wants to score.
With Messi being in a rich vein of form, the Miami-based side went on to win the Leagues Cup and ultimately complete the makeover of Beckham's franchise. An example of the team's turnaround can be seen in Opta Sports' club rankings. On the day of his debut, Inter Miami were the 891st-ranked club in the world, but now they are ranked as the 189th-best side in football. This is an unprecedented rise of 702 places in just two months. To put into context just how rapid Inter Miami's ascent has been, Beckham had to wait until his fifth season with LA Galaxy to win his first trophy, the 2011 MLS Cup. Messi has done it in less than five weeks, and there could be many more to come!
However, it is not only his goal contributions that have caught the eye in the US. In fact, you could argue that Messi's best performance was one in which he did not even score, when he kept his game so simple that the entire match seemed to flow through him. According to Opta, Messi is the player most involved in Inter's attacking sequences, including chances created, shots taken and passes in the final third. This fact is not by coincidence, and Pep Guardiola once gave everyone a glimpse into the player's mindset whilst watching a video of Messi as part of the "This is Football" series on Amazon Prime Video. In it, the Spanish manager said, "He's not running, but he's always watching what's happening. He smells where are the weak points in the back four. After five, 10 minutes, he has the map in his eyes, in his brain to know exactly where is the space and what is the panorama. It's like being in the jungle and I have to survive. And he knows if I move here, here, I will have more space to attack."
Even if Messi himself isn't playing or directly involved in the attack, the new build of Martino's side is much more exciting going forward and in possession, an indication that the Argentine has left a lasting impact on his teammates. Striker Josef Martinez has been a beneficiary of Messi joining as Inter Miami have a higher XG (Expected Goals) when the superstar is on the pitch, while left-wing Robert Taylor has almost doubled his goal contributions from the previous campaign. In a hypothetical world, it is likely that another top footballer could have turned Inter Miami's fortunes around too, but only Messi could have mustered the skill and chutzpah to do so with such murderous prejudice, changing the culture of the club instantly, and no longer could an underperforming squad continue to show complacency. Perhaps the most renowned quality within Messi's armoury is his pre-eminent technique. A cultured footballer of the highest order, the tricky player's technical prowess is exemplified through his ability to manipulate the ball, ball retention, and ability to dribble past players.
Enjoy him while he is here!
Despite achieving everything in football that he has desired, the player's ability to bring an aura or atmosphere to a club is still evident as Inter Miami seems to be, and looks, a very different club since his arrival. However, there has been a downside as Messi's injury struggles of late meant that the player was unavailable for four of his club's past five matches, including the US Open Cup final, in which Houston Dynamo secured a victory over the Miami-based side. A win in that tie would have seen the club clinch two titles in the space of a month. Meanwhile, the club's chances of making the playoffs are also in limbo after suffering a blip in form in Messi's absence. His recent leg injury is an indication that the legend is reaching the latter stages of his career, and it remains unclear if he will continue playing once his contract expires in 2025. With that being said, watching Messi at Inter Miami now feels like finding out that your favourite television series is about to end, and while you enjoyed watching it for years, you may not have savoured it enough. The veteran is now 36, and some might feel they have already seen the best of him. His short spell at Inter Miami, to date, has shown that he has clearly not lost the ability to spring a surprise and roll back the years. Messi is once again tipped to be a frontrunner for the upcoming Ballon d'Or title, but whether he wins it or not, his legacy will remain unmoved as football will be lucky to produce another talent as special as the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner.
