Getty Image / Hector Vivas
It was a bit of a shock when Lionel Messi chose to sign with Inter Miami. But since then he’s been on an absolute tear.
Many were worried that he may phone it in once he signed with MLS. However, his latest match proved otherwise.
On Wednesday night, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami took on opposing MLS club Orlando City in a League Cup match. Miami won 3-1 with Messi scoring two goals for his team.
With that said, Messi’s competitive fire was released in this contest. At the conclusion of the first half, César Araújo of Orlando City was seen chatting with Lionel Messi.
He appeared to get under Messi’s skin a little bit too. According to The Athletic, the two got into an altercation in the tunnel as well. However, there is currently no video of the confrontation.
Additionally, you can see how locked in Lionel Messi is right now in MLS.
This quick clip shows just how much tenacity he’s playing with. Perhaps a yellow card could have been dished out. But the fact he’s playing hard like that should wipe away any concerns he’s phoning it in.
On top of that, he’s somehow able to turn into the defender and get by him. That’s just not something you see everyday.
Messi is absolutely locked in. This is insane pic.twitter.com/NTuzRmtdZ6
— MC (@CrewsMat10) August 3, 2023
At 36 years old, it’s clear as day that Messi is still the best player in the world.
So why did he join MLS? Well, he’s accomplished pretty much everything you can in the soccer world. He’s the absolute GOAT in all aspects.
With that said, joining MLS is just a great way for him to continue growing his global brand. Soccer is still a growing sport in the USA. So, he’s playing a role in helping generate more excitement for the sport in America.
It also doesn’t hurt he’s making a crazy amount of money either.