Inter Miami

Inter Miami is on the verge of signing another one of Lionel Messi's former FC Barcelona teammates.

The Athletic's David Ornstein, Felipe Cárdenas and Tom Bogert reported Tuesday the club is finalizing an agreement on a one-year contract with Luis Suárez.

"Nothing is completely sorted on what designation Suarez will hit the cap at, sources say," the report read. "The league will discuss potential roster rule changes this winter."

Miami has spared no expense toward surrounding Messi with his preferred supporting cast. Sergio Busquets was signed in tandem with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, and Jordi Alba arrived in short order.

It didn't take long for fans to theorize Suárez would be the next to make the move to South Florida. ESPN reported in November he had an agreement with the club in place.

Given his age (36), it's obviously fair to wonder how much the Uruguayan has left in the tank. His prolific return to South America offers strong evidence in his defense.

Suárez had six goals in 12 appearances with Nacional, who won the 2022 Uruguayan Primera División title. After signing with Grêmio, he had 15 goals and 11 assists in 32 matches.

"In certain games, it seemed like he was from a different planet," Brazilian journalist Leonardo Oliveira said to Jack Lang of The Athletic. "It was like watching an alien play with humans."

Unlike Messi, Busquets and Alba, Suárez will also benefit from having a full offseason to rest up and get acquainted with his new club. The 2023 season was already well underway when the other three entered the fold, making the transition to MLS less than seamless.

Together, they were unable to change the trajectory of Inter Miami's campaign. The team finished 14th in the Eastern Conference and nine points out of a playoff spot.

Given the extent to which Miami is loading up, anything short of an MLS Cup appearance might be considered a disappointment in 2024.

Messi mania came to the United States in 2023, and Time Magazine recognized its impact.

Time named Lionel Messi its 2023 Athlete of the Year on Tuesday. After the soccer superstar led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022 and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in the sport's history, he joined the MLS' Inter Miami CF this year and captivated a new country of soccer fans with his dazzling style of play.

Lionel Messi is TIME's 2023 Athlete of the Year https://t.co/qPR75Hgt6f pic.twitter.com/EXqxl08lZN

— TIME (@TIME) December 5, 2023

This is just the latest recognition for the 36-year-old, who also took home his eighth Ballon d'Or this year. The coveted award is annually presented to the world's top player.

Where Messi would end up after he finished the 2022-23 club season with Paris St.-Germain was one of the biggest sports stories of the year across the world. While he is no longer a young player, he still finished with 21 goals and 20 assists across all competitions for PSG and proved he can compete with the world's best.

As Time's writeup explained, the decision largely came down to a return to Barcelona, a spot in the Saudi Arabia league that signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, among other stars, or with Inter Miami in the MLS.

"The truth is that fortunately, I had several options on the table that were interesting, and I had to analyze them and think, even weigh them up with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami," Messi said.

He wasn't the first international superstar to join the league, as others such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Gareth Bale had done the same in the past.

But he was the most notable one, and he did so just months after shining on the sport's biggest stage as a World Cup champion.

Inter Miami games suddenly became appointment viewing as celebrities and fellow athletes joined the crowds. And Messi delivered by leading the team to a Leagues Cup title with 10 goals in seven games.

He scored in regulation and then buried his attempt in extra-time penalty kicks when Inter Miami defeated Nashville in the Leagues Cup final. He stunned crowds with his footwork, precise passes and ability to finish opportunities around the net. And he infused an energy into MLS and soccer fandom across the United States as a whole.

Messi was sidelined at times down the stretch of the MLS season, and Inter Miami—which struggled before he arrived—did not make the playoffs. However, he will be there for an entire season in 2024 and won't have to worry about integrating himself into a new team with a different style of play.

Anything less than a deep postseason run would be a surprise, and he will surely have the attention of the soccer world as it unfolds.

The 2023 MLS regular season ended two weeks ago. Inter Miami have already sold out of season tickets for the 2024 campaign.

The club announced Thursday that single-match tickets will still be made available once the schedule for next season is announced, but season-ticket packages are no longer available.

No surprises there—Lionel Messi made Inter Miami the hottest draw in MLS, even after the club nearly doubled their prices for next season.

Messi brought along his old Barcelona pals, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and the 2022 World Cup champion helped lead Inter Miami to a Leagues Cup title. Messi was superb in that competition, scoring 10 goals and adding an assist in seven matches.

He couldn't lead the team into playoff contention, however, as Inter Miami had dug too deep a hole before his arrival. But expectations are sky-high for the 2024 campaign.

And another former teammate, star striker Luis Suárez, is expected to join the club for next season, giving them even more firepower. Suddenly, Miami is the epicenter of the MLS universe.

Messi is easily the biggest star to ever play in the competition. Other big names have graced the league, such as Inter Miami's current president and co-owner, David Beckham, along with Carlos Valderrama, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Steven Gerrard.

But Messi is the G.O.A.T. and was coming off a World Cup triumph with Argentina. His arrival was Michael Jordan playing in the EuroLeague, or Tom Brady in the CFL. And even at 36 years of age he wasn't past his prime and was immediately the best player in MLS by a wide margin.

So yes, people want to see the Argentine magician do his thing. It's no surprise that demand for tickets is high—there may not be many chances left to see Messi on a soccer pitch.

Inter Miami denied it has agreed to compete in the Riyadh Season Cup, which would've potentially pitted Lionel Messi against Al-Nassr and star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

The club called Tuesday's announcement about its participation "inaccurate" and added team managing owner Jorge Mas "has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the preseason tour."

Inter Miami statement on rumored friendly vs. Al-Nassr, calling the news “inaccurate”:

“Earlier today, an announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate.” pic.twitter.com/DoRsm2kp30

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 21, 2023

Earlier in the day, Inter Miami vs. Al-Nassr was promoted as part of the Riyadh Season Cup and billed "The Last Dance" between Messi and Ronaldo.

The Last Dance
مباراة تاريخية تجمع أساطير كرة القدم رونالدو و ميسي

نادي انتر ميامي يلعب ضد نادي النصر في بطولة كأس موسم الرياض… ⚽❤️🇸🇦

في المملكة ارينا 📌 Feb 2024

It's the last dance of football greatness! 🏆
Ronaldo vs Messi clash on the pitch.

Watch Inter Miami FC… pic.twitter.com/3aHtVGtFQI

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) November 21, 2023

The pair most recently faced off this past January, when Paris Saint-Germain beat a Riyadh All-Stars XI squad 5-4 in Saudi Arabia.

Many thought that would be the last time Messi and Ronaldo shared a pitch since they're spending the twilight of their careers on different continents. Based on Inter Miami's statement, it still might be.

In a perfect scenario, Messi and Ronaldo would contest a farewell match of sorts in the FIFA World Cup or UEFA Champions League, stages befitting their status within the sport. The Riyadh Season Cup at least theoretically presented a finite conclusion to their long-running rivalry on the pitch.

For more than a decade, Messi and Ronaldo cast a wide shadow over world football. Ronaldo won the first of his five Ballon d'Or awards in 2008, and the pair of he and Messi went on to lift the trophy in 12 of the next 14 years.

Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid in 2009 also put them on opposite sides for one of Europe's biggest derbies for nine seasons.

Fans spent countless hours arguing which of the two is better, a debate that has probably come to an end thanks to Messi's record eight Ballons d'Or and Argentina's 2022 World Cup triumph.

If it were to come together, one more friendly would undoubtedly be used to yet again put Messi and Ronaldo's legacies side by side.

For all intents and purposes, the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is effectively over now that they're in the twilight of their playing careers and stationed on different continents.

But the long-running battle hasn't subsided entirely.

Eagle-eyed fans made note of Ronaldo's reaction to an Instagram post questioning the legitimacy of Messi's Ballon d'Or win Monday, his eighth all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo liked and laughed in the comments on a video criticizing Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or.

The journalist said that Messi scored six penalties in the World Cup, and should have five Ballon d'Ors, arguing that he took one from Haaland, Lewandowski, and Xavi/Iniesta. pic.twitter.com/Mif97wAj9p

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 31, 2023

To be fair, Ronaldo wasn't the only person questioning whether Messi was the most deserving candidate in the Ballon d'Or field.

The 36-year-old helped Argentina win its third World Cup and was the Golden Ball winner in the process. His form in the second half of the season with Paris Saint-Germain was unremarkable, however, and moving to Major League Soccer was a step down in his quality of opposition.

Erling Haaland, who was the best striker in the world en route to helping Manchester City win a treble, was perhaps a more worthy contender.

Of course, it's worth noting that retroactively reducing Messi's Ballon d'Or trophies to five would put him level with Ronaldo. They'd share the record rather than the Inter Miami star sitting alone and setting a mark that will stand for the foreseeable future.

That fact won't have been lost on Ronaldo.

It's doubtful the two icons will ever face off in a competitive fixture again. Maybe fans can at least look forward to years them taking subtle digs at one another, though, to keep the competitive dynamic alive and well.

Lionel Messi is a Ballon d'Or winner for the eighth time, extending his record tally for the most coveted individual honor in world soccer.

LIONEL MESSI IS THE 2023 MEN’S BALLON D’OR!

Eight Ballon d’Or for Argentina hero! 🖐🤟#ballondor pic.twitter.com/1slOJ6EoKj

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 30, 2023

LEO MESSI WINS HIS EIGHTH BALLON D’OR 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Nzd0Apiljz

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 30, 2023

The Inter Miami star finished ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé in the balloting.

The 2023 Ballon d’Or podium! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/6xHP47keNg

— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 30, 2023

Even fellow contender Jude Bellingham offered his support for the superstar after winning the Kopa Trophy.

"It's World Cup year and Lionel Messi had a fantastic World Cup, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or," Bellingham said.

Messi's candidacy was propelled largely by Argentina's triumph in the 2022 World Cup. He had seven goals and three assists to earn the Golden Ball as La Albiceleste were world champions for a third time.

That was the crowning achievement in a legendary career, one that allowed him to carve out his own legacy with the national team and move past the longtime comparisons to Diego Maradona. Constantly being measured against Maradona created what was an occasionally fraught dynamic between himself and his compatriots.

Many will question whether Messi was the most deserving contender in the field, though.

His form tailed off in the second half of the 2022-23 season with Paris Saint-Germain, and thanks to a round-of-16 exit in the Champions League, the campaign was widely considered a disappointment for the French side despite winning Ligue 1. Messi was among those singled out by disgruntled supporters for what they considered to be wider issues within PSG.

While the 36-year-old looked rejuvenated after signing with Inter Miami, winning the Leagues Cup and finishing runner-up in the U.S. Open Cup typically aren't the kind of accolades that headline a Ballon d'Or résumé.

Haaland was perhaps the most logical alternative to Messi.

The Norwegian striker had 36 goals in the Premier League in 2022-23 along with 12 in the Champions League, and he's just as prolific to get the 2023-24 season underway. He has 13 goals between the two competitions so far.

Thanks in part to Haaland's efforts, Manchester City became the first English club since rival Manchester United in 1998-99 to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same year.

In most years, all of that together would be more than enough to catapult a player to the Ballon d'Or.

The 23-year-old's time will likely come sooner or later, and the same can be said of Mbappé and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.

For more than a decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo maintained an almost total duopoly for the Ballon d'Or. Ronaldo was the first to win in 2008, and either he or Messi came out on top in all but two of the next 14 years. Luka Modrić (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) were the exceptions.

That run will probably come to an end for good in 2024. Once it does, the trio of Haaland, Mbappé and Bellingham are all poised to become perennial challengers.

Lionel Messi may have dominated the soccer headlines since his move to the MLS with Inter Miami, but he still fell short in one aspect.

According to Forbes (h/t ESPN), Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid soccer player in the world this year over Messi, Neymar and others.

Ronaldo, who is also ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid athlete in any sport, claimed the top spot with expected total earnings of $260 million. His contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr is believed to be worth $200 million. He joined the team in January after previously starring for Manchester United.

Messi ranked second with expected total earnings of $135 million. Still, he has a reason to celebrate, as he is the first MLS player to crack the top 10 since David Beckham in 2012.

The top 10 on Forbes' list of highest-paid footballers looks like this:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($260m)
2. Lionel Messi ($135m)
   
3. Neymar ($112m)
   
4. Kylian Mbappé ($110m)
   
5. Karim Benzema ($106m)
   
6. Erling Haaland ($58m)
   
7. Mohamed Salah ($53m)
   
8. Sadio Mané ($52m)
   
9. Kevin De Bruyne ($39m)
   
10. Harry Kane ($36m)
    

Ronaldo will be back in action for Al Nassr on Oct. 21 against Damac. Messi and Inter Miami will take on Charlotte FC on Oct. 18.

MLS enthusiasts will have to wait a little longer to see Lionel Messi in playoff action.

Following a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati Saturday, Messi's Inter Miami CF were officially eliminated from MLS Playoff contention.

Despite Lionel Messi’s return tonight, Inter Miami was eliminated from playoff contention with its 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/5V9Vt6i5eZ

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 8, 2023

The loss dropped Inter Miami to 9-6-17 on the season, which mathematically eliminated the team from playoff contention. The chances of reaching the postseason always appeared like a long shot, but a tremendous run and a little luck could have gotten the team to there. Instead, Messi and Inter Miami will look at Year 2 as the chance to contend for a title.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner signed midseason with the club for a two-year deal worth more than $125 million. The move was certainly more about future contention and having Messi ready to go for year two, but the thought of seeing Messi contend for an MLS title was certainly an appealing one.

There are rumors that Messi could be loaned to his former club, FC Barcelona, during the MLS offseason, but nothing has been confirmed in that regard.

He played in five games for Inter Miami in the official MLS season registering 17 shots, six shots on target and one goal. He also helped the team win the Leagues Cup tournament and reach the final of the U.S. Open Cup.

Despite the elimination, Messi and Inter Miami still have two regular season contests remaining. Both will come against Charlotte FC and are set to take place on October 18 and October 21.

Lionel Messi has played just two full regular-season Major League Soccer games in his storied career.

That couldn't keep him off the shortlist of nominees for league MVP, which was announced by the MLS Thursday.

Messi is one of 30 players nominated to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP honor. Votes will be cast by players, coaches, general managers and media members from October 10 to October 23.

Messi's former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets was also nominated for the award.

In four regular-season appearances and three starts for Inter Miami, Messi recorded one goal and two assists. He has been sidelined by injury for the team's last four games.

Messi's best performances with Inter Miami so far have come during tournament play.

The Argentinian star scored in seven consecutive Leagues Cup matches in July and August, racking up 10 goals to help lead the club to its first tournament victory in franchise history.

Messi then appeared in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match on August 23, where he contributed two assists to an Inter Miami win.

All of that action added up to eight contests in 33 days— and impacted 36-year-old Messi's ability to join Inter Miami during the regular season.

Three days after the U.S. Open Cup semifinal, Messi made his MLS debut off the bench in an August 26 game against the New York Red Bulls and helped Inter Miami polish off a 2-0 shutout with an 89th-minute highlight-reel goal.

In his next regular-season appearance four days later, Messi started, but appeared "visibly exhausted," per Inter Miami reporter Franco Panizo. He requested a substitution from the game.

A combination of this workload, in addition to an injury stemming from problems with old scar tissue and his participation in Argentina's World Cup qualifiers, has limited Messi since to playing in just two of Miami's last seven matches.

Despite his limited availability in the MLS regular season so far, Messi's impact on the league has been undeniable. Inter Miami's 2024 tickets prices now rank as the most expensive season passes in world soccer, and Messi's No. 10 was the best-selling jersey in the MLS this season.

Messi's cultural impact on the league could have contributed to his MVP nomination Thursday more than his impact on the field so far.

Inter Miami omitted Lionel Messi from the team sheet for Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo.

Our official @opencup line up 😤#MIAvHOU | 8:30PM ET pic.twitter.com/cLPkUfdxb5

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 27, 2023

Miami manager Tata Martino said leading up to the game that Messi was dealing with a minor muscle injury in his leg. That the seven-time Ballon d'Or isn't available whatsoever for such a big match raises further questions.

At this point you really have to wonder if Messi's injury really is just "fatigue" as Inter Miami continue to insist.

If he can't make the US Open Cup final a week from the injury, it's more than just fatigue. I'm sure someone will ask Gerardo Martino about it tonight.

— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) September 27, 2023

Martino told reporters Tuesday the high stakes of the Open Cup final would be taken into account when it came to Messi's status.

"If it wasn't a final, we wouldn't take any risk, but because it is a final, there is a chance we take that risk," he said.

Messi has been nothing short of brilliant since signing with Inter Miami. He helped propel the club to a Leagues Cup title thanks to his 10 goals and four assists.

The 36-year-old's form has carried over into MLS matches. Through four appearances, he has scored one goal and assisted on two others.

Sooner or later, though, the star forward could simply run out of gas.

Messi last appeared for Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-2 loss to Clermont Foot on June 3. By late July, he was suiting up for Miami in the Leagues Cup. That's not much of a break for a player in his prime playing years, let alone one in his late 30s.

Inter Miami has five MLS matches left this season, and Martino indicated the team is expecting to have Messi back at some point.

"In reality, it doesn't occur to us that he wouldn't play the rest of the year," he said. "If we're here evaluating whether he can play tomorrow or not, in no way are we thinking that he might miss the rest of the league's games."

But Messi's absence against Houston will inevitably have some questioning if he can immediately get back into the squad for Saturday's clash with New York City FC.