The "Beautiful Game" is back on the Miami scene when Lionel Messi and the crew face off against Salt Lake at DRV PINK Stadium on Wednesday, February 21.
If you're here because you've heard the whispers that Inter Miami is on the brink of becoming the greatest Major League Soccer team of all time, well, you're not alone. Everyone drinks the Lionel Messi (the Michael Jordan of soccer) Kool-Aid.
Grab a pen and paper, the pinkest MLS jersey available at Dick's Sporting Goods, and settle in as together we embark on a bandwagon journey like no other.
Well, let's be honest — for many of you, that's not true. You’re a black-belt bandwagon rider with a closet full of LeBron and Florida Panthers jerseys. And you know what? We respect it. Let's run it back.
Here are five things to know ahead of Inter Miami's season opener that will help you blend in seamlessly with the die-hard fútbol supporters, even if your soccer knowledge is as deep as a Miami Dolphins postseason run.
Know Where We Left Off Last Year
Ah, the 2023 season – a rollercoaster of emotions. So we heard!Quick recap: Inter Miami sucked. Shortly before Messi's signing, they had an eleven-game losing streak and were at the bottom of the MLS standings. And then, boom, Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player ever, joined the club mid-season, bought cereal at Publix with his kids (like a soccer mom), then brought with him his pals Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Just like that, Inter Miami skyrocketed from the league's basement to become the MLS's marquee club, winning the expanded Leagues Cup trophy and dazzling us with the kind of soccer usually reserved for, well, not us. It was the stuff we normally see on TV happening in faraway lands where soccer hooligans roam and fútbol rules the airwaves.
Messi's late-season push was not enough to propel Inter Miami into the playoffs in 2023, but fans are expecting a better outcome this year, with an all-star crew on the pitch from the season's start.
New Player to Know
If you're new here, you're probably already overwhelmed. That's OK. We'll only cover the biggest and boldest post-Messi roster addition, Luis Suarez, so you can at least have some working knowledge of him.Let's get one thing out of the way — Suarez is accomplished. He's a UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, Conmebol Copa América, and five-time La Liga champion.
He comes to Miami after a season in Brazil when he was voted the best player and best striker in the Brazilian league. There, Suarez scored 26 goals and 17 assists over 53 appearances, leading Grêmio to win the Campeonato Gaúcho and Recopa Gaúcha. Messi knows Suarez from their days playing together for Barcelona between 2014 and 2020.
For all you NBA fans, think of Suarez like the Draymond Green of soccer. At times throughout his career, he's seemingly been unable to control himself (in Suarez's case, there was a fair bit of biting involved) — you know, the fellow who winds up on the news for all the wrong reasons.
The hot-headed tendencies have since calmed down somewhat for Suarez in his elder years, so don't get your hopes up that he will chomp a chunk out of an opposing player this season.
Know All About Lionel Messi
How big is Lionel Messi? He's so big that Michelob Ultra (which apparently still exists) posted a commercial featuring him on YouTube, and it locked up 10 million views in a matter of days. He's Taylor Swift married Taylor Swift and had a baby named Taylor Swift famous.If you don't know that Lionel Messi is the best player in Inter Miami, then, my friend, you should not be reading this. Close this tab and slowly head back to the Real Housewives of Miami. It's safer there.
As mentioned previously, Messi’s arrival turned Inter Miami into MLS royalty overnight. His Leagues Cup heroics were the stuff of legend, making defenses look like traffic cones. His arrival brought out celebrity spectators to what amounts to the greatest-looking commercial airport parking lot in America.
Messi is the one. He's a World Cup champion, a soccer hero who is looked upon as the best of all time in his sport.
OK, asked and answered. Moving on to things people in Kazakhstan don't know about Inter Miami.
Get to Know Cremaschi
Here’s your insider tip: Benjamin Cremaschi. This kid is the future, and knowing his name gives you instant credibility as a card-carrying Inter Miami savant. Sadly, knowing his age — 18, born in 2005 — will make you instantly depressed.Benji — we're guessing people call him Benji — was 8 years old when LeBron last played for the Heat. He came to Inter Miami through their Academy, the team's South Florida youth soccer program. (Where else would he come from? He's 18!)
Unique because he's a homegrown talent, Cremaschi has both the look and skills to be a local sports star. But don't let his TikTok gaze fool you — Benji stands on his soccer business.
Know the Expectations
Inter Miami has elicited the kind of high expectations that were in play during the Miami Heat's Big 3 era - when Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh ruled the Magic City sports landscape. Anything less than winning it all could be seen as a failure. Fans are itching for the team to set records on the way to an MLS title — a high bar set when you bring in Lionel Messi and surround him with his favorite ex-teammates and young, talented players to boot.There you have it, your crash course in becoming an overnight Inter Miami superfan. Wear your heron crest proudly!
