24 July 2023 , 18:11
592
0
Inter Miami have appointed Lionel Messi as their new captain following his sensational debut for the MLS club.
Messi, 36, came off the bench to debut during Friday's Leagues Cup opener against Mexican club Cruz Azul. He scored the winning goal with a last-minute free-kick to seal a 2-1 victory in front of their home fans at DRV PNK Stadium. The summer signing wore the captain's armband after entering the pitch during the second-half. Former Newcastle United defender DeAndre Yedlin handed it to him following the substitution that saw Sergio Busquets introduced for the first time.
Inter Miami 's current captain is Brazilian midfielder Gregore, who has held the role over the last two years. However, he underwent surgery on a Lisfranc injury earlier this season. He is out until around mid-September while rehabilitating his foot. And it seems that he will no longer be wearing the armband following the arrival of Messi. Head coach Tata Martino reportedly confirmed to The Athletic at a press conference on Monday that their match-winner is now the new captain.
Messi was Martino's captain while they were together with the Argentina national team, having assumed the position from Javier Mascherano in 2011. The forward also captained Barcelona following the departure of Andres Iniesta in 2018 for three years before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain.
At PSG, Marquinhos was captain upon Messi's arrival. Presnel Kimpembe, Marco Verratti, Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos were all favoured over him by Christophe Galtier when the coach was naming vice-captains last season. While pursuing their former player this summer, Barcelona were reportedly ready to make Messi their captain again with Busquets leaving. And now Inter Miami are moving to make him the leader of their club.
Apple TV release MLS Season Pass worldwide and announce free opening weekend
Messi wore the captain's armband after coming on to make his debut (Getty)The decision shows his immediate impact by instantly earning the respect of teammates to such an extent that the coach is comfortable with him captaining the squad. Fellow forward Robert Taylor has been speaking to the change Messi has already had in a matter of weeks. “It’s amazing, it’s great, of course I’m excited,” Taylor told the Independent.
“He’s just come in and brought a lot of energy to the team. His play means he makes the right decisions all of the time in training and in the games, which is why it’s so good. It’s a great feeling. The way to win it as well. To witness that free-kick and the quality he brings to the team, it’s unbelievable.” Messi has also shown strong leadership by dedicating Inter's win to teammate Ian Fray, who injured himself during the game, with the youngster since discovering he has torn his ACL for the third time.
Josef Martinez has also, admittedly jokingly, described Messi as his "new best friend". The striker was addressing footage of them talking together on the bench before entering the pitch together last week.