Messi has made his debut for MLS side Inter Miami. Here’s game-by-game analysis of how the World Cup winner is performing for his new team.
In arguably the biggest sports deal in American history, Lionel Messi’s move to Major League Soccer is seismic for the sport’s growth in the U.S. The superstar has won LaLiga, Ligue 1, the Champions League and the World Cup. Now, he faces a new challenge with Inter Miami.
Miami sits bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference standings, with 18 points from 22 games, and is suffering through an 11-game winless streak. With 12 games left in the MLS regular season, Miami must reach ninth place to have a chance to reach the playoffs. If Miami gets to ninth, it will play the eighth-place team in a wild-card match to qualify for Round 1 of the playoffs. Right now, the team is 12 points behind current ninth-place holders D.