11 October 2023 , 17:04
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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Facundo Farias has revealed how his decision to move to MLS from Argentina put him on a collision course with his wife.
The 21-year-old's arrival in Florida might not have grabbed the headlines in the same way as the likes of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in the summer. However, the early signs have indicated that he could prove to be an incredibly astute addition for the Herons.
With three goals and an assist in his first 10 outings in MLS, the attacking midfielder is already representing something of a coup for the David Beckham-owned franchise. Having hit the ground running stateside, the starlet has now opened up how he has enjoyed on the experience so far.
In an interview with the Athletic, youngster Farias revealed how his wife Angi actually took some convincing when it came to leaving Argentina. She had been studying for a degree when the offer came to join Messi at Miami after her husband had impressed at Colon de Santa Fe.
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Explaining how his partner did not take the news well that she would potentially be having to uproot her life, Farias admitted: "She was studying her major but we had to move here. She wanted to kill me! But I told her, ‘We’re going to play with Messi!'"
Despite the decision to depart for the US causing a bit of conflict initially, it seems that the couple have since settled into life in Miami. They have moved to Fort Lauderdale without extended family and alongside their infant son Valentino, who was born earlier this year.
Now, Farias has reflected on realising his dream of getting his big break, especially after a cruel anterior cruciate ligament injury back in September 2022. His performances for Colon prior to this had attracted the attention of clubs in Europe but his setback seemed to put his dreams of a move into doubt.
Facundo Farias is relishing the opportunity to play alongside his personal hero Lionel Messi at Inter Miami (Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)However, the chance to join his childhood hero Messi would eventually arrive in July as he joined the raft of superstars who had been lured to Miami by Beckham and his partners. Now, Farias is delighted that he finally got his opportunity to move on to a new environment after his injury.
He explained: "Every summer I was linked to a new team. It never happened for me and that can affect your mentality. But my injury happened for a reason. I came back from it with a purpose. I wanted to be stronger and thankfully Inter (Miami) came with an offer."
He has not been left disappointed after getting the rare chance to line up next to his personal hero Messi at DRV PNK Stadium either. Farias added: "You have to enjoy (Messi) as much as you can, he’s the best in the game. He proved that. So just enjoy him and learn from him whenever possible.
"It’s a unique situation to be next to him. He’s a great teammate and he’s so important to us. To have players like him, Sergio (Busquets) and Jordi (Alba) on your team, these are players who have had incredible careers. Everyone respects them and that’s a plus for us. I’m learning so much from Leo and from everyone else."