Lionel Messi is one of the best footballers of all time, and his World Cup triumph in Qatar was the biggest benchmark in his career. He was at PSG at that time. After PSG’s exit from the Champions League, the fans were unhappy with the legend. Also, the club wanted to sell Messi and Neymar in the transfer window. Lionel Messi was a free agent, attracting offers from all over the world, especially Saudi Arabia. However, the Argentine decided not to go to Saudi Arabia, and to many people’s surprise, he joined a club that was struggling in Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami came in with an offer for the Argentine, and he decided to join this MLS outfit. The fans were excited to hear this news, and Messi didn’t take long to win the hearts of the supporters. Here is a look at what Lionel Messi has done since joining Inter Miami.
Messi in MLS
Lionel Messi has been a creative player throughout his career. He creates and scores goals for his team. The Argentine forward made his MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls. To date, he has played in three league games for his side.
The 36-year-old plays on his favourite right wing. His dribbling was never in doubt, and the above viz shows how clinical Messi has been when he drifts towards the centre. Lionel Messi’s ball progression is more from the centre.
The Argentine made a sudden impact on his debut. After coming off the bench against New York, Messi scored his first goal in Major League Soccer. Overall, he has taken 10 shots in the competition and has a 50% accuracy rate. The Argentine has been accurate with his shooting skills and has not missed the target. The other five shots have been blocked by the defence.
Lionel Messi has been a creative force throughout his career. The Argentine registered two assists, both of which came in Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over Los Angeles FC. Messi’s accuracy has been a bit low, at 81.5% in the league. His pass map above shows all the successful passes. It can be observed that Messi has directed most of these passes to the opposite wing. This has allowed him to get into scoring positions. Messi’s seven passes have found a teammate inside the opposition’s penalty box.
Leagues Cup triumph
Lionel Messi won the hearts of Inter Miami fans after leading the side to their first silverware. The Argentine made his debut for the club in the Leagues Cup. This is a competition held between the teams of the MLS and Liga MX. Messi played in seven Leagues Cup games and scored 10 goals. His accuracy rate was 56%, and the player only had four shots off-target. He finished the tournament as the top goal scorer.
As mentioned earlier, the Argentine likes to pass the ball to the left flank and make his runs into the box. Jordi Alba plays as a left-back, and he still has the legs to run past defenders. Lionel Messi knows the player and his abilities. This allows Messi to play progressive passes towards the left side and give himself a chance to score.
Lionel Messi’s impact has changed the mentality at the club. They are winning games, and this is what David Beckham and Co. expected before signing the Argentine. Messi still has at least a couple of years left to play. He will look to lead his side to MLS glory in the future.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
