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Lionel Messi could make his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul on July 21. The match will be a part of the 2023 Leagues Cup. Apart from Miami and Cruz Azul, Atlanta United are also a part of the group.
Messi recently played his final game for Paris Saint-Germain during the 3-2 loss against Clermont Foot. He will become a free agent on June 30 when his PSG contract expires.
While Messi was linked with a return to Barcelona and a move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, he looks certain to join Inter Miami. The David Beckham co-owned side is currently sitting at the bottom of the MLS table. They are relative newcomers to the league.
Considering Lionel Messi manages to stay injury free and actually joins the club, his debut in American football might come on July 21 against Cruz Azul at the DRV PNK Stadium.
Inter Miami star spoke about Lionel Messi's potential arrival
Inter Miami are relatively new to the MLS. They are not among the best teams in the league as well. In fact, they are rock bottom in the league table at this point in time.
The team's goalkeeper, Nick Marsman, recently spoke about Lionel Messi potentially joining the club. He claimed that the club is not ready to have a player of Messi's magnitude in their ranks. He told ESPN:
"I personally think that this club is not ready for Messi's arrival. We have a temporary stadium, people can just walk on the pitch, there are no gates. We also leave for the stadium without security. I think they aren't ready. But I hope he comes."
Legends like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, David Villa, Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, and more have previously graced Major League Soccer. Messi's presence should give the league a new layer of popularity among the fans.
