05 July 2023 , 18:39
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One of Lionel Messi's upcoming opponents has vowed to not be overawed when he comes up against the Argentinian legend on what is expected to be his debut.
The 36-year-old is expected to sign for his new club Inter Miami imminently but will not make his debut until later in the month, with his bow slated to come on July 21. Surprisingly, the former Barcelona icon's first game in Herons colours will not come in MLS, however, and will instead be in the Leagues Cup.
The new tournament, which pits teams from the US' MLS against Mexico's Liga MX, will see the superstar winger take to the field for the first time for the South Beach outfit as they face off against Cruz Azul. Despite the sideshow surrounding the game, their opponents do appear to be focused on the job in hand, however.
Cruz Azul midfielder Erik Lira has insisted that they are relishing the prospect of coming up against the World Cup winner but was quick to assert that they will not be intimidated by his presence. Demonstrating his confidence, he also firing a warning that they expect to emerge victorious from the fixture.
Speaking ahead of the meeting with the forward who is considered by many observers to be the greatest to play the game, the 23-year-old explained: "As long as he has two legs and two eyes, he's just another player. It's a unique opportunity. It's a new tournament, we have to fight for it.
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"But the truth is it's just another game for us, (manager) Tuca Ferretti tells us that Messi is just another player - obviously he's a bit imposing, but we're going to win.'"
In truth, Inter Miami have struggled so far this season, in spite of their transfer activity, and currently sit rock bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference after 20 rounds. Having sacked former Lionesses manager Phil Neville, they will be hoping two recent draws can help to kickstart their season.
Lionel Messi stands to sign a lucrative contract as he gears up for his move to MLS to join David Beckham's Inter Miami. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)As it stands, Miami sit nine points off Montreal, who occupy the final playoffs spot, and new head coach Tata Martino will be tasked with masterminding an unlikely revival in the coming months. To aid him in his endeavour, the franchise's ambitious owners look set to bring in a plethora of household names in the hope of potentially turning the season around.
Outspoken co-owner Jorge Mas has already promised that as many as five fresh faces could arrive at DRV PNK Stadium in the coming weeks, with Messi already having been joined by former Camp Nou colleague Sergio Busquets. The billionaire businessman has also already confirmed that talks have been held with another Blaugrana legend in the form of Jordi Alba after he left the club at the end of the previous season.
In addition, reports from Catalan radio station RAC1 have suggested that World Cup winner and fellow Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta could also be on his way to Florida. The 39-year-old has departed Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe after five years in the hope of ending his career elsewhere.