Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi reacts after scoring a goal during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the New England Revolution, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale. (AP Photo)
Lionel Messi has admitted that his move to the USA to play in the Major League Soccer (MLS) has forced him to ‘reinvent his style due to age and the MLS’.
“I’ve changed my style of play because of the moment, the situation and my age. I am adapting a little bit to everything. I started reinventing myself and adapting to the league, which for me was new. I felt very comfortable from the beginning,” Messi said in an interview for the 433 app when asked by journalist Fabrizio Romano if he has started to pass more and dribble less after arriving in USA.
The 37-year-old Messi has been with the Inter Miami CF franchise in the MLS since joining as a free agent in July 2023.
Despite Messi’s presence in their ranks, Inter Miami have not had the best of results. The team did win their first trophy ever last year, when Messi scored 10 goals in just seven games to help Miami to the Leagues Cup title.
But since then, the team has been in a slump. In the 2023 MLS regular season, the Miami-based team ended up in 14th place on the Eastern Conference table to miss the MLS playoffs entirely.
This season, Messi has ensured that the team is in the playoffs. The team also won the MLS Supporters’ Shield.
“To build a club you need to win titles. The club was coming off a bad year in MLS [in 2023] and a little bit after my arrival we won Leagues Cup, the first trophy for the club,” Messi said.
“It was extraordinary for us, and now we are eager to play these playoffs and hopefully be able to win the MLS Cup. On the personal level and most importantly for the club that has done so much for it to happen.”
