Luis Suarez fails to shine on Inter Miami debut as Leo Messi frustrated on Barca reunion
It was an unhappy reunion for the ex-Barcelona legends now playing for Inter Miami, as Luis Suarez struggled on his debut after joining Lionel Messi at the American club
Lionel Messi shared the field with Luis Suarez for the first time since leaving Barcelona on Friday night, but Inter Miami struggled with their biggest stars on show against El Salvador.
After sealing his winter switch from Gremio to Miami, Suarez made his debut alongside Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba at the Estadio Cuscatlan. The unconventional pre-season friendly saw Major League Soccer side Miami face the nation currently ranked 70th in the official FIFA standings.
It was a full house in San Salvador as locals piled in to watch their national team face four football legends, who are expected to fire Miami to success in MLS next season. But they were all substituted at half-time by manager Gerardo Martino, and Miami managed just two shots on target with their biggest stars on the pitch, and the game ended 0-0.
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The Barcelona reunion is fully underway in Miami, with the franchise owned by David Beckham doing all they can to facilitate the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Messi committed to Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in June 2023, as his contract expired with the French giants.
Alba and Busquets later joined the best footballer on the planet, after their contracts with Barcelona came to an end. Busquets was set to become a free agent, and Alba agreed to terminate his contract with his original release set for June 2024.
Messi fired Miami to Leagues Cup success last year after making his debut in the first group game of the competition, one that features both MLS clubs and Liga MX teams – the top division in Mexico. Messi scored 10 goals in seven games before lifting the trophy, the first Miami has won in their existence as a franchise.
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Miami were already struggling in MLS when Messi joined, and their fate was already sealed once the regular season resumed. Their poor form prior to Messi joining saw former Manchester United and England international Phil Neville lose his job as manager.
Messi lifted the standards at Miami instantly, and they added one of the great holding midfielders in Busquets and world-class full-back Alba to add balance while dramatically increasing their ability. With Josef Martinez leaving Miami at the end of the 2023 MLS season it was clear that the club had a new striker coming in, and the acquisition of Suarez was soon announced.
All eyes are on the 2024 MLS season, as Miami boasts one of the best squads in division history with World Cup winners, and legends of the game. There is little doubt that everything will come together once the season opener rolls around, but Messi was a slumped figure on the bench as he sat between Alba and Suarez who also looked disappointed.
