21 July 2023 , 20:57
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DeAndre Yedlin has revealed how Lionel Messi showed his generosity with his first message in the Inter Miami players’ WhatsApp group.
Messi was officially confirmed as an Inter Miami player on July 16, signing a contract until the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The 36-year-old had been a free agent after his deal with Paris Saint-Germain expired at the end of June.
Miami now have three former Barcelona players on their roster after the signing of Messi. His former teammates from the Camp Nou, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, have also joined the Argentina international in moving to the DRV PNK Stadium.
The expectation is that Messi will make his debut in the Leagues Cup game against Cruz Azul on Friday. Messi has been training with his new teammates all week, and is already making himself a key part of the squad.
Yedlin has been a Miami player since signing from Turkish club Galatasaray in 2022. And the right-back has revealed how a WhatsApp message from Messi left him stunned.
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The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle defender has explained how his teammate, Leo Campana, asked for help from his teammates in a message sent in the group chat. And it’s here where, Yedlin says, Messi stepped in to save the day.
“For the small event, well, actually the big event on Sunday, Campana was looking for tickets and he put in the WhatsApp group if anyone had tickets,” said Yedlin in a press conference on Thursday.
“I didn't know that Messi was already in the group, but he appeared and said ‘How many do you need?’, suddenly, out of the blue. From that moment I said ‘Wow’, you know what I mean?
Lionel Messi's generosity towards his new Inter Miami teammates has been revealed (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)“He appeared out of nowhere and obviously, they have known each other for more or less two days, but to show that generosity, I think it is the best example to show what he is like.”
Miami have been stepping up their preparations for Messi’s arrival ever since he first confirmed he would be signing for the club on June 8. The MLS club have installed bleachers in all four corners of the DRV PNK Stadium to add an additional 3,000 seats to take the overall capacity up to 21,000 people.
Messi will have another familiar face in the Miami coaching staff, as he gets the chance to work with manager Gerardo Martino yet again. Messi’s compatriot served as Barcelona boss from 2013-14 and has also worked as Argentina’s head coach.