“It went from being the worst team in MLS” - Josef Martinez highlights Lionel Messi’s impact in turning Inter Miami to ‘Real Madrid’ of MLS
Lionel Messi has been credited by former Inter Miami attacker Josef Martinez for turning the club into a popular one almost overnight.
According to La Vinotinto (via Goal), Martinez said that Messi has turned Miami into the 'Real Madrid' of Major League Soccer. The Argentine moved to the club in the 2023 summer window.
“When I joined Inter Miami, it was El Combate (The Combat) FC. When it became official (Messi’s signing), it went from being the worst team in MLS to the Real Madrid of MLS," said Martinez.
Messi, who became a legend at Barcelona, moved out in 2021 before joining French giants Paris Saint-Germain. After failing to win the UEFA Champions League in Paris (but winning Ligue 1 twice), the Argentine maestro shifted base to the USA.
Martinez's words hold true, sa Messi tasted almost immediate success at Inter Miami, winning the inaugural Leagues Cup in 2023. He also made Miami a globally attractive side to watch by bringing his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets to the USA.
Messi has scored 43 goals in 53 appearances across competitions for the Herons.
"Before Lionel Messi’s first training session, not even people on Instagram knew us" - ex-Inter Miami player Josef Martinez
Josef Martinez, who now plies his trade for the San Jose Earthquakes in the same league, also mentioned that not many people in the USA were aware of Inter Miami's online presence before Messi arrived.
“Before Lionel Messi’s first training session, not even people on Instagram knew us, not even the club’s own journalists came. That was the first time I met my godfather, and people who didn’t even know I existed were writing to me. Outside, there were 1,000 journalists - when before, we had seen maybe one. And there were 50,000 people at the first training session. It changed overnight,” Martinez said.
Lionel Messi, despite being 37, hasn't lost his touch at all. In the ongoing season, he has found the back of the net nine times in 14 matches across competitions.
Martinez's referral to Real Madrid might rankle some Barcelona fans, given that Lionel Messi played for them and not their famed rivals. However, it rings true to some extent given how popular Madrid are across the world.
Martinez was referring to the fact that Messi has made Miami almost as popular as Los Blancos globally after arriving in the USA. The diminutive Argentinian is likely to have a big role to play in American kids taking up the sport as a career.
