The head coach of the MLS club Inter Miami Gerardo Martino has commented on the performance of forward Lionel Messi in the first game of the 2024 season.
On February 22, the team from Florida secured a home victory against Real Salt Lake with a score of 2-0. The 36-year-old captain of Inter Miami provided an assist to Robert Taylor in the 39th minute. With this win, the Herons earned three points and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference table.
The league's press service quotes Martino as saying:
I saw [Messi] playing free on the field. And with the same fine touch he always had. And he showed some speed too. He has a characteristic that no other player has. He grabs the ball very far from the rival goal and the feeling he gives is that he will generate something and will end in a goal situation.
On February 15, The Athletic reported that the club, which also features star midfielders Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and forward Luis Suarez alongside Messi, will need to significantly reduce their salary in the near future. The salary cap in the MLS is approximately five million dollars.