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Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has claimed that he has been supporting MLS side Inter Miami before the arrival of seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
Messi, 36, arrived in Miami this summer on a free transfer following a two-season stint with Paris Saint-Germain. A little over five weeks later, the Herons won their first-ever trophy - the Leagues Cup - in their short five-year history.
The Argentine played a key role in that triumph, bagging 10 goals and one assist in seven games, scoring in each outing. He then produced a pair of braces as Miami reached the US Open Cup final. Days later, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner marked his MLS debut with a goal in a 2-0 win at New York Red Bulls.
World No. 7 Tsitsipas - currently in action at the US Open - has said that Messi is one of his favorite players and wishes to meet and interact with the Argentine some day. He said to SC ESPN (via All About Argentina):
“I have seen it all. I have seen all the games. I was a fan of Inter Miami before Messi arrived. When I saw that he was coming, I was the happiest person.
“He is one of my favourite players. He is simple and a beautiful person, not just an athlete. I admire many things about Messi, and I hope to be able to meet him to talk for 2 or 3 minutes, it would be my dream.”
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas opened his campaign for a maiden Grand Slam singles title by beating Milos Raonic in straight sets. He next takes on Dominic Stricker on Wednesday (August 30) for a place in the third round.
"Lionel Messi will miss at least three games this year" - Inter Miami boss Tata Martino
Inter Miami boss Tata Martino is understandably ecstatic with his start to life at the MLS side. However, he wants his team to reduce their dependence on Lionel Messi, as the Argentine star is expected to miss a few games this year due to international commitments.
Martino told Miami's website (via GOAL) that the team should keep winning even without Lionel Messi when the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner leaves for international duty with Argentina:
"We put a lot of value in this win because this (playing with a rotation) is something we need to get used to because Leo is going to join his national team.
"He'll miss at least three games this year, and, next year, it will be the same, and we need to understand that when he's not here the team still needs to provide results."
Lionel Messi is expected to play Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Ecuador (September 7) and Bolivia (September 12).
