Messi’s Miami Miracle

Image c/o ​Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

By Oliver Collins
Sports Writer

​

Most people counted Messi’s career out after leaving Europe amid his time at powerhouse French club, Paris St. Germain. But the end of one chapter marked the beginning of a new era in America’s Major League Soccer. Since his arrival in the MLS Messi has done nothing but impress. Game winning goals, hat tricks and the winning mentality of soccer’s G.O.A.T has brought a new found hype to the world of American soccer fans. If anyone questioned whether the Argentinian super star still has it, those questions have been answered and then some.

If you’ve missed Messi’s global media headlines throughout the last few months, here’s a summary of how things have gone. To say Messi’s debut for the Inter Miami side was successful would be an understatement. After being subbed on after the half and being given the opportunity to take the last free kick of the game, he delivered. A strike into the top corner of the net won the game for Inter Miami and provided an iconic moment for an organization hoping to make it clear that they weren’t just looking for an increase in supporters and jersey sales, they were looking to win.

Messi’s success didn’t stop there. Braces (two goals in one game) in the following two league cup games, exceeded the already high expectations the soccer world had for the recent world cup winner. What the club didn’t expect, however, was Messi’s profound impact on Miami culture and the sheer espouse the city has extended to the seven time ballons d’Or winner. New York Times reporter James Wagner said it best in his July article, “He already has and likely will continue to have a substantial cultural influence on a city — and region — known as the unofficial capital of Latin America. Restaurants have changed their menus to include Messi-themed dishes. Murals and signs of Messi have popped up everywhere. Argentine culture is spreading through him.” It’s safe to say Messi’s time in Miami has been a hit, but in reality this is only the beginning.
​

Sources: 
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messi-stats-tracker-every-goal-assist-and-trophy-for-inter-miami 
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/sports/soccer/messi-inter-miami.html 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=6YKV3zCdUtc 

Image: 
https://arizonasports.com/story/3528889/lionel-messi-scores-game-winning-goal-mls-inter-miami/