Tag Archives: Inter Miami CF

Lionel Messi Named Finalist for Major League Soccer’s 2024 MLS MVP Award

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi is in the running for Major League Soccer’s highest player award.

The 37-year-old Argentine professional footballer has been named a finalist for the 2024 MLS MVP award, joining his Inter Miami CF teammate Luis Suárez, as well as Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández, Portland Timbers’ Evander and D.C. United’s Christian Benteke on the list.Lionel Messi Each player met the new qualifying regulations that require a minimum of 1,000 minutes played in the regular season campaign.

Messi earned his second nomination for the award since joining MLS in July 2023. Though the forward failed to win the award last season, he’s being considered the leading candidate in 2024 after contributing 20 goals and 16 assists in just 19 games. 

Despite concerns over his lack of participation throughout the 34-match campaign, playing only 55% of games, teammate Jordi Alba has insisted that Messi must win MVP.

“Regarding Leo, I repeat myself, every time you ask me, I think he deserves all the awards they can give him, I think he is the best player in the world, with a lot of intensity compared to the rest and until he retires,” he said on Friday. “I’m sure he’ll win the MVP and if he doesn’t win it, well, it’s no longer anyone’s decision, it’s the people who vote but hey, for me he’s the best.”

Messi’s contributions in 2024 propelled Inter Miami to lift the Supporters’ Shield and set the new league record for most points recorded in a single season.

Suárez, on the other hand, has recorded 20 goals and nine assists in 27 games in his first MLS season after joining Inter Miami in December 2023. He also stands as a finalist for Newcomer of the Year.

The forward adjusted quickly, tying for second place on the Golden Boot rankings with Messi and Dénis Bouanga. Together, Messi and Suárez account for 40 of the team’s 79 goals this season.

Benteke won the Golden Boot with 23 goals this season, but his D.C. United team failed to make the MLS Playoffs, while Evander impressed in the Western Conference with15 goals and 19 assists before the Timbers fell 5-0 to the Vancouver Whitecaps in Wednesday’s wild-card match.

Hernández, the reigning MLS Cup MVP, propelled the Columbus Crew to second place on the Eastern Conference table with 19 goals and 14 assists.

Other award finalists include: Chris Armas (Colorado Rapids), Gerardo “Tata” Martino (Inter Miami CF) and Wilfried Nancy (Columbus Crew) for Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year.

Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati), Gabriel Pec (LA Galaxy) and Suárez (Inter Miami CF) were announced for MLS Newcomer of the Year, and Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew) and Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders FC) for Defender of the Year.

River Plate’s Héctor David Martínez Joins Inter Miami CF on One-Year Loan

Posted on by
Reply

Héctor David Martínez is headed to South Florida.

Inter Miami CF has signed the 26-year-old Argentine professional footballer and River Plate defender ahead of the 2024 Leagues Cup, including him in the official roster for the competition.

Héctor David Martínez,He joins the team on a one-year loan from the Argentine side until July 2025, with an option to make the transfer permanent at the conclusion of the spell.

Martínez joins after making just five appearances in all competitions for the Argentinian giants, racking up 182 minutes of action.

“I’m really happy and excited to join Inter Miami. I was thrilled about the opportunity to come here. Finally, it’s happened, and I’m really happy to get this new chapter in my career started,” said Martínez.

“The goal here is to help the team, keep growing, and hopefully, win some titles.”

The centerback kicked off a professional career with River Plate, working his way through the youth system before debuting in the first-team under Marcelo Gallardo in December 2018.

The player also saw time with Defensa y Justicia, recording two goals in over a year before returning to River Plate initially on loan and then permanently.

Internationally, he’s appeared for the Paraguay national team on 11 occasions.

Now, he is set to play a starting role alongside Inter Miami defenders Jordi Alba, Tomás Avilés and Marcelo Weigandt given the team’s current injuries to the backline. Key centerback Serhiy Kryvtsov picked up an ankle injury during the match against Toronto on July 17, forcing head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino to play midfielder Sergio Busquets in that position for the time being.

The former Barcelona player can now be expected to return to his normal placement as Martínez joins the team.

Reigning champion Inter Miami kicks off the 2024 edition of Leagues Cup on Saturday when hosting Puebla at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Unlike last year, the Herons enter the competition in a great position as leaders of the MLS Eastern Conference with 53 points in 25 games.

The team will then face Tigres UANL at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, in the hope of advancing to the knockout round.

Raúl Sanllehí to Join Inter Miami CF as Co-President

Posted on by
Reply

Raúl Sanllehí is heading to Miami.

The 57-year-old Spanish football administrator and former Head of Football at Arsenal and Director of Football at FC Barcelona will join Inter Miami CF as co-president alongside Xavier Asensi, overseeing aspects of the sporting side and executing the ownership’s strategy of player development from the academy to the first team.

Raúl SanllehíSanllehí will officially serve as president of football operations upon receipt of his U.S. work authorization.

“I have a blend of experience between leagues with LaLiga and the Premier League, and kinds of elite clubs that play Champions League every year, like Barcelona or Arsenal, so I have a vast vision about football,” Sanllehí told ESPN. “I have a very clear model in which I believe that clubs should be based and grow from there. The ownership wants to turn this club into a global football powerhouse, and that’s something that I embrace completely.”

Sanllehí previously worked as the director of football at Barcelona from 2008-2019, playing an integral role in the team during the development of current Miami players Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba. Sanllehí will also reunite with head coach Gerardo Martino, after being part of the team that hired the Argentine at Barcelona in 2013.

Sanllehí also served as head of football at Arsenal from 2018-2020, and most recently as CEO of Spanish club Real Zaragoza from 2022-2024.

Now, Sanllehí wants to develop Inter Miami’s academy to produce the kind of side he saw while at Barcelona.

“I remember Johan Cruyff in a press conference when he was explaining the reasons why he believed so much in the academy,” Sanllehí recalled. “One reporter asked him, ‘so what you’re saying is that the academy needs to play like the first team?’ And he said, ‘no, actually I’m saying the opposite. I’m saying that the first team needs to play like the academy.’

“And you don’t achieve that in two or three years. That’s over time, because you need to plant the seeds and then protect them so they grow.

“And that was the secret of success of probably the best team in the history of Barcelona with all the players that you know, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Messi, all of them were there. And they were all coming from the academy.

“If you look in history, again, all the main clubs that have been legendary in Europe, they were all based on the academy players. So I really believe that that’s the path.”

The Herons currently boast multiple academy players in the senior team, with Leo Alfonso most recently making headlines for scoring the team’s winning goal in extra time against the Philadelphia Union on June 15.

Benjamin Cremaschi and David Ruiz also played an integral role in the victory, while regularly featuring in Inter Miami’s starting XI under Martino.

On the other end, Asensi will continue to manage the team’s commercial aspect as president of business operations. He joined Inter Miami in 2021 from Barcelona, helping the club triple revenues. His promotion allows for the two to work in unison on different ends of the team’s growth.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Game Against Sporting Kansas City Moved to Arrowhead Stadium

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi’s trip to Kansas City will be bigger than previously planned…

Sporting Kansas City has moved its April 13 home game against the 36-year-old Argentine soccer star’s Inter Miami CF to Arrowhead Stadium from the team’s Children’s Mercy Park.

Lionel MessiThe team made the announcement on Monday.

Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri has a capacity of about 76,000. It is the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and the oldest of the 11 U.S. sites for the 2026 World Cup.

Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas, the MLS team’s home since 2011, has a capacity of about 18,000. The soccer team, then known as the Kansas City Wizards, played at Arrowhead Stadium from 1996 through 2007 and used the larger stadium for a 2010 exhibition against Manchester United that drew 52,424 fans.

Single game tickets go on sale January 16 and start at $65, Sporting KC said.

Lionel Messi & Inter Miami CF to Play El Salvador in Friendly This January

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi is heading to Central American…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star and his Inter Miami CF teammates will begin their preparations for the 2024 season with a friendly against the El Salvador national team in San Salvador on January 19, the club announced Thursday.

Lionel Messi The game at the Estadio Cuscatlán is the first confirmed match for Inter Miami ahead of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, which is expected to begin in late February.

“We’re excited to start announcing our preseason plans and preparations ahead of a thrilling 2024 campaign,” Inter Miami chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson said.

“We look forward to facing the El Salvador national team in what will be a good first test for our squad against the best players from the country.”

The announcement follows Inter Miami’s denial last week that it had agreed to take part in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia in February. Event organizers had announced that Messi and Miami would face off against Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr as part of the event.

Inter Miami, though, said the announcement was “inaccurate” but that it looked forward to “showcasing our players on Inter Miami CF’s first international tour which will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Inter Miami, which failed to make the MLS playoffs, finished the 2023 season with a loss to Charlotte FC on October 21. The club then took on New York City FC in a friendly on November 10 to celebrate Messi’s record-extending eighth Ballon d’or award.

Despite failing to make the postseason, Messi made a huge impression when joining the club along with fellow former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in July. Messi scored 10 goals to lead Miami to its first-ever title with the Leagues Cup as fans across the U.S. clamored to see the Argentine World Cup winner in action.

El Salvador is ranked 78th in the latest FIFA rankings and most recently drew home and away against Curaçao earlier this month.

Also on Thursday, Inter Miami announced that it has sold out season tickets for 2024, just over two weeks after they went on sale.

Grêmio’s Luis Suarez Agrees to Deal with Inter Miami CF

Posted on by
Reply

Luis Suarez is headed to South Florida…

Inter Miami CF has agreed to a deal with the 36-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer and Grêmio star, according to ESPN.

Luis SuarezAs confirmed last month by his current coach at Grêmio, Renato Gaúcho, Suárez will depart the Porto Alegre-based club at the end of the Brazilian Serie A season in December despite being only halfway through the two-year contract he signed in December 2022.

The one-year deal with an option to renew for a second year has been agreed upon with Inter Miami and all that remains is to sign the contract, said ESPN.

Suárez — Uruguay’s all-time top scorer with 68 goals in 137 appearances for La Celeste — is Grêmio’s leading scorer this season, with 10 goals and 10 assists in 31 league games.

The two-time Serie A champions, who were relegated in 2021 only to bounce back one year later, sit third in the table, three points behind leaders Palmeiras with seven games remaining.

Rumors about a potential Suárez move to South Florida began circulating over the summer when Suárez admitted the high demands of the Brazilian league were taking a toll on his body, especially his knees.

He had meniscus surgery on his left knee in 2014 while with Liverpool and a similar surgery on his right knee in 2020 as a Barcelona player.

Along with Lionel Messi, Inter Miami signed fellow former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in the middle of its season.

Suárez spent six seasons playing alongside that trio at Camp Nou from 2014 to 2020, winning four Spanish La Liga titles and the 2015 UEFA Champions League.

Last month, Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino confirmed his club’s continued interest in signing the veteran striker.

“When the moment arrives to make Suárez’s situation with respect to Inter Miami official, we’ll be prepared to go in the corresponding direction,” he said.

Lionel Messi Earns Record-Extending Eighth Ballon d’Or

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi has extended his record…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star, who currently plays for Inter Miami CF, has won the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time, after leading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup title last year.

Lionel Messi

Messi, who beat out Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, becomes the first Major League Soccer-based player to claim the coveted prize, although the triumph comes largely on the back of his exploits with his country in Qatar.

Former Manchester United player and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham handed his prize-signing Messi the award in Paris.

Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season as Manchester City won the Treble in 2022-23, finished second in the voting and won the Gerd Muller Trophy given to the best striker of the year.

“I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had. Everything that I’ve achieved,” Messi said after getting his award. “The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies.

“To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing. All of them [Ballon d’Or awards] are special for different reasons.”

Prior to Messi receiving his award, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the Ballon d’Or Féminin after a record-breaking year with club and country. She helped Barça win Liga F and the Champions League last season, before leading Spain to World Cup glory in the summer.

In other awards handed out on Monday, Messi’s Argentina teammate Emiliano Martinez won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper and England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was handed the Kopa Trophy as the world’s top player under the age of 21.

During his acceptance speech, Messi made a point of wishing Argentina countryman Diego Maradona happy birthday. The 1986 World Cup winner, who died on November 22, 2020, would have been 63 on Monday.

“My last mention is for Diego [Maradona],” Messi said. “Today is his birthday. So I would like to remember him from here, surrounded by the best players, coaches and people who love football like he did.

“Wherever you are, Diego, happy birthday. This goes also to you.”

Even prior to Monday’s ceremony in Paris, no player had won the Ballon d’Or more times than Messi, who first won it in 2009 and then again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

Cristiano Ronaldo has won it five times, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten are all three-time winners.

Messi scored 21 goals in 41 appearances last season as Paris Saint-Germain retained the Ligue 1 title before moving to Inter Miami earlier this year.

Since moving to the U.S., he has scored 11 goals in 14 games for Miami, helping the franchise win its first-ever piece of silverware, the Leagues Cup.

However, he missed several matches through injury at the end of the regular MLS season as Gerardo “Tata” Martino‘s side came up short in their late push for a playoff spot.

It is Messi’s performances at the World Cup at the end of 2022 which have earned him an eighth Ballon d’Or, though, as Argentina ended a 36-year wait to be crowned world champions for the third time.

Messi, as captain, was instrumental to Argentina’s success in Qatar, scoring seven goals and assisting three more as he was named as the Player of the Tournament.

He scored twice in the final and again in the penalty shootout against France as Lionel Scaloni‘s team edged one of the most memorable showpieces in the competition’s history.

Having come up short with Argentina at four previous World Cups, including losing the 2014 final to Germany, it was deemed by many to be his last chance to get his hands on football’s biggest prize.

At 36 years and four months old, he also becomes the second oldest player to ever win the Ballon d’Or, replacing last year’s winner Karim Benzema. Only the inaugural winner, Stanley Matthews in 1956, was older when he won it aged 41.

Messi’s first six Ballons d’Or were won while he played for Barcelona, where he is the club’s record goalscorer and appearance holder, while he won it for a seventh time shortly after joining PSG in 2021 following Copa America success with Argentina.

Lionel Messi Among Finalists for MLS’ Newcomer of the Year Award

Posted on by
Reply

He may have only played in six MLS matches, but Lionel Messi has certainly made an impression.

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star has been named one of the three finalists for Major League Soccer’s Newcomer of the Year award following his debut season with Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi Messi is nominated alongside Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis and St. Louis City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen.

The World Cup winner had also been listed as one of 30 nominees for the league’s MVP award earlier this month as one of two players put forward by Miami during the club-nomination phase.

However, he didn’t make the cut for the top three shortlisted on Thursday, missing out to FC Cincinnati front-runner Luciano Acosta, Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga of LAFC and Messi’s young Argentina teammate Thiago Almada of Atlanta.

Following his signing on a free transfer, Messi enjoyed a dream start to life in Miami. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 10 goals in seven games to lead the club to its first trophy with the lifting of the Leagues Cup. He also played in Miami’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal victory over Cincinnati.

However, Messi’s appearances in MLS league play were limited by a leg injury suffered while on duty with Argentina in September. He was able to play just 372 minutes in six appearances (four starts), scoring one goal and providing two assists as Miami missed out on a place in the MLS playoffs.

Fellow nominee Giakoumakis finished second in the Golden Boot race with 17 goals and three assists in his first MLS season, while former Germany youth international Löwen had six goals and 14 assists in 29 appearances.

While Messi had limited impact on the field in his first season in MLS play, his arrival in the United States caused a surge in ticket and merchandising sales.

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said earlier this month that “everything has changed” since Messi’s arrival at the club. In a post on Instagram earlier this week, Messi said he was “proud of everything the team accomplished this season.”

The awards are voted on by current MLS players and coaches, technical directors/general managers and select media members. Winners will be announced throughout the MLS playoffs.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Landon Donovan MLS MVP
Luciano Acosta, FC Cincinnati
Thiago Almada, Atlanta United
Denis Bouanga, LAFC

Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
Bradley Carnell, St. Louis City SC
Wilfried Nancy, Columbus Crew
Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati

MLS Newcomer of the Year
Giorgos Giakoumakis, Atlanta United
Eduard Löwen, St. Louis City SC
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF

MLS Young Player of the Year
Thiago Almada, Atlanta United
Duncan McGuire, Orlando City SC
Aidan Morris, Columbus Crew

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
Roman Burki, St. Louis City SC
Roman Celentano, FC Cincinnati
Pedro Gallese, Orlando City SC

MLS Defender of the Year
Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Seattle Sounders FC
Matt Miazga, FC Cincinnati
Tim Parker, St. Louis City SC

MLS Comeback Player of the Year
Joao Paulo, Seattle Sounders FC
Alan Pulido, Sporting Kansas City
Miles Robinson, Atlanta United

Diego Alonso Named New Head Coach of Sevilla FC

Posted on by
Reply

Diego Alonso is taking the helm in Andalucia…

Sevilla has appointed Diego Alonso as their new head coach.

Diego AlonsoThe former Inter Miami CF manager has replaced José Luis Mendilibar, who was dismissed on Monday after the team’s poor start to the season.

Alonso will take over the team for the remainder of the campaign.

The former Atletico Madrid player had been without a job since stepping down as coach of Uruguay in December after the country’s failure to progress past the group stages of the 2022 World Cup.

This will be Alonso’s first coaching experience in Europe.

He has coached Peñarol and Bella Vista in his native Uruguay as well as Paraguayan sides Olimpia and Guarani.

His longest coaching spell was at Mexican side Pachuca, whom he led to the Mexican championship in 2016.

He also won the CONCACAF Champions League versus Pachuca and Monterrey.

Alonso joined Inter Miami ahead of the club’s inaugural season in 2019 but results were mixed and he left by mutual consent in January 2021.

Later that year, he took over Uruguay’s national team.

Alonso has inherited a Sevilla team that has won just two of its opening eight LaLiga games.

Saturday’s 2-2 league draw at Rayo Vallecano left the club in 14th position in the standings with eight points from a possible 24.

Lionel Messi Picked for Argentina’s Next Two World Cup Qualifying Matches

Posted on by
Reply

Lionel Messi is set to represent his country once again…

The 36-year-old Argentine soccer star has been picked for Argentina’s next two World Cup qualifying matches despite a leg injury that had kept him off the field for two weeks with MLS club team Inter Miami CF.

Lionel Messi Messi returned to the field on Saturday night in his team’s 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati after missing five of Inter Miami‘s last six matches, including a 4-1 loss to Chicago Fire FC.

The Argentina captain also missed his national team’s 3-0 win at Bolívia on September 12.

Prior to Saturday’s game, Messi’s previous appearance was at his team’s match against Toronto on September 20, during which he was substituted at halftime because of the recurrence of a leg injury that initially resurfaced in a 1-0 win against Ecuador on September 7.

Argentina, who along with Brazil lead the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings with two wins from two matches, will face Paraguay in Buenos Aires on October 12 and then visit Peru five days later.

Messi has 11 goals in 12 matches with Inter Miami. The team is 8-1-4 when he plays; seven of those matches were on the team’s run to winning its first trophy by claiming the Leagues Cup championship, and another was in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Inter Miami is 1-3-2 in its six matches without Messi since he joined the club.

“Barcelona missed him, and the Argentine team missed him,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said about Messi after the loss to Chicago. “Of course we’re going to miss the best player in the world.”

Full Argentina Squad:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate), Juan Musso (Atalanta)

Defenders: Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Gonzalo Montiel (Nottingham Forest), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Germán Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Lucas Martínez Quarta (Fiorentina), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Marco Pellegrino (AC Milan), Marcos Acuña (Sporting Lisbon), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Lucas Esquivel (Athletico Paranaense)

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Guido Rodríguez (Real Betis), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Carlos Alcaraz (Southampton), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Bruno Zapelli (Athletico Paranaense)

Forwards: Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Julián Alvarez (Manchester City), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Facundo Farías (Inter Miami), Lucas Beltrán (Fiorentina), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nico González (Fiorentina), Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla)