Im sorry but people were saying the same about Ronnie. Despite having impressive total goals his performances were all over place in his return season. And because of his strong finish to the season he had me fooled only to fall of a cliff in the next season. Messi can probably do a job but he also looked painfully slow and sluggish in periods at PSG. But Messi and Ronnie are so big that most clubs they join become all about them. I think Messi wanted a last dance at Barca but i also think he's happy to be done with highest level and can focus on relaxing having fun knowing that he's cemented his legacy now that he won the holy grail in iconic fashion.
Messi in Miami
- Thread starter Bastian
- Start date
Im sorry but people were saying the same about Ronnie. Despite having impressive total goals his performances were all over place in his return season. And because of his strong finish to the season he had me fooled only to fall of a cliff in the next season. Messi can probably do a job but he also looked painfully slow and sluggish in periods at PSG. But Messi and Ronnie are so big that most clubs they join become all about them. I think Messi wanted a last dance at Barca but i also think he's happy to be done with highest level and can focus on relaxing having fun knowing that he's cemented his legacy now that he won the holy grail in iconic fashion.
Only that Messi still had excellent alround attacking statistics. He was quite clearly still the best in terms of ball progression and chance creation on the planet even if his scorers and dribbling declined at PSG (so that he's "only" one of the best in terms of goals + assists, not the undisputed best). This is rather a case of "(semi-)retiring while you're still at the top" than anything else. Understandable but it still is a bit disappointing that he's now having field days against weaker players than displaying his abilities on the biggest stage.
Zlatan was also boss in the MLS but i think his longevity is a bit overrated. His stint at United wasnt that incredible neither was his return to Europe. But i do think the whole Messi/Ronaldo fc is on a whole other level. If the clubs they play for even at retirement ages they get blame. Messi got his WC his iconic fashion which in his own words changed everything. His career is complete why risk tarnishing it by potentially being a massive wage burden while his powers are waning. But yeah it feels a bit off seeing Messi look like an adult playing against kids in the MLS.
I mean, Zidane also resigned after reaching the WC final - understandable from his point of view, same goes for Messi now, but as a football fan, I can still feel sad about it
I mean, Zidane also resigned after reaching the WC final - understandable from his point of view, same goes for Messi now, but as a football fan, I can still feel sad about it
With the rarest specimens you just want them to on forever. I hated Barca when they played us off the park in 2 CL finals but i couldnt feel anything but awe in the games he didnt play us. In 2019 i was just resigned to the fact we were painfully average so it i had no hard feelings there. I also want Messi to stay relevant forever but its a by gone era now. Now we are kind back to traditional contenders for the ballon d'or. Haaland and Mpabbe are freak goalscores but they lack the supernatural technical abilities of players like Messi, Maradona and Cryuff.
He seems genuinely happy and it's fun to watch. That's enough for me. Messi has nothing left to prove; It'll be fun to watch him just enjoy his last few years, hell, maybe even play in a 6th world cup, who knows. Hope he can stay fit.
Exactly, I guess the main reason is that his father and advisers told him is time to established yourself in Murica and be the face of football to the rest of your life in such a huge market while having the possibility of any sort of enterprise within the MLS (a Pele COSMOS move in a more silly and even more corporate era).
And the others are the whole Barca affair left him bitter with current management, the whole PSG Ultras stuff was too silly to bare at this age, his family (read mainly Antonella) wanting a more relax life outside the pitch, his father a more lucrative one.
Yet like you, I just would have preffererd to do a Brighton, a mid table just to enjoy himself, even if I know it doesn't work that way with his profile.
Only maybe in Argentina, but the whole "easy life" outside the pitch right now would have been impossible.
Another route would have been sthg like City, with Pep knowing what to ask and what not, but dunno how much both would have been interested in it, or even sthg like a Benfica with Di Maria...
BTW the MLS with Guille Schelotto, Becks, etc have been trying to seal this move since ages and they've done it.
The only think that it's trully annoying and that it might bother him in this new road, it's how rubbish and yellow is the Mexican and USA media, no matter if you do good, bad or so so, they are really toxic as fvck, as toxic as Spanish, Argie one or even more.
And the "funny" part is that if things turn sideways, in terms of toxic media or trully bad sporting results, he more than probably would still have a Saudi or sthg similar offer on the table if he wants and if staying fit, even a tiny shout in a late Barca cameo if Laporta is gone.
All in all, I still would have like him to still be in Europe or convincing his family to do a Newell's.
PD: The only football related thing that I liked about this move, was that he might be more rested for the NT, yet having regular football being played. But he chose a team that needs tons of work in an strict football sense (in a bizzness sense, it's like a Gold Mine to build from the very basement), too much for my taste to deal trying to fix such a malfunctioning team, I hope they sort this out fast, because if not he'll have to deal with some extra pitch effort that I don't fancy at all.
He's been on Twitter. That much is obvious. It's all over that place. Scripting, scripting.
Everyone's talking about how Miami scored an awful OG off a cross, but the same people are conveniently omitting Taylor running 50 yards to slide the ball into his own net too.
The only thing I will say is wtf was the goalie doing on that, he was frozen
Oh please, he just dominated in a world cup 6 months ago.
He'll definitely play 2026, makes sense doesn't it with him being a MLS ambassador and all with the WC being hosted in the US as well.
100%
The whole point of this move is to coincide with the Copa America 2024 being hosted in the United States, and then the World Cup in '26 being hosted in USA, Mexico and Canada. The Messi exposure is hugely related to drawing massive numbers of Americans to these major competitions.
He did not dominate season-long in club despite playing in a (using a common opinion) weaker league.
I don't think it's far fetched to think he targeted the Mondial to peak physically (like cycling riders do) and that the event possibly transcended him : all very understandable. The half season ramp up to the 2022 WC was the best period he had for PSG, he was a lot more muted after that.
At 36 it's not exactly shameful or surprising his legs are not what they used to.
I agree he could still be good for the national team a few years on the virtue of his ball handling and vision.
It's all very academic and counterfactual because he decided to go in the MLS but I think he was done for as a player for an elite club demands. Could maybe have done well as a luxury sub or as the solo artist at a lower ranked club.
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Still the best playmaker dribbler and finisher imo just his legs will go in the next 2 years I think he won't make 2026.
Best case he does a role like Modric but he will lose all his acceleration by then.
I think he will needs legs ahead of him with the likes of Garnacho and Alvarez
Miami 1-0 after 10 minutes. Penalty. Let Martínez take it again as it’s the only way he can score a goal.
Miami 2-0 up. No goals or assists for Messi yet. Flash in the pan. His legs are gone. Waste of money from Miami.
I think I saw someone suggest this the other day on here, so I’m lifting the idea, but MLS should really consider having some sort of salary cap exemption for each team, for one defender. A Center back.
Invariably all the teams use their DP slots and whatever other financial tomfoolery that goes on in MLS, to sign midfielders and forwards. But the result is that the defenders are so shockingly bad. They can barely do the basics. All terrible, and I mean League 2 terrible on the ball and reading the play. Some decent physical specimens, but the fundamentals of the game are so lacking in the CBs that it’s truly alarming. The league would benefit so much from some quality there.
Invariably all the teams use their DP slots and whatever other financial tomfoolery that goes on in MLS, to sign midfielders and forwards. But the result is that the defenders are so shockingly bad. They can barely do the basics. All terrible, and I mean League 2 terrible on the ball and reading the play. Some decent physical specimens, but the fundamentals of the game are so lacking in the CBs that it’s truly alarming. The league would benefit so much from some quality there.
They won 4-0 in the end. One paltry, miserable goal from Messi. Pitiful. His record is now a crappy 8 goals and 3 assists in less than four and a half games. Pffft.
That Charlotte no.29 was possibly the worst footballer I've seen - and I used to manage a 3rd Div side in India.
Messi at Brighton will be anything but relax.
His wages would make sure that they squeeze every ounce of his sweat, and with him they might push hard for a few domestic trophies and top 5-6 with European qualifications and before you know it he'll be playing 3 games a week.
And he cant win eitherway. He's not gonna make them champions, he cant be expected to score goals like he used to with the Brighton lineup and every defender looking to make a name out of shackling Messi.
Inter Miami is still the better choice for him
Ots crazy the disparity you see between players even on the same team in this league. You’ve got Messi making 60m or more a season, and some of the other squad players making as little as 45k a year! It’s like the old Zidanes y Pavones policy Perez had at Madrid in the early 2000s. But on a league wide scale. Teams have a few decent quality DPs, some really good. Several average players of sort of Championship level. And a bundle of players that wouldn’t look out of place in anywhere from League One all the way down to non league.
A midtable championship side would automatically be there or thereabouts the best team in MLS.
What the feck is this?! Ball hit his chest. All ref could see is his back & then deserved a booking for the kick. Refs bowing to the Messi aura already….
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvdwDCltO2J/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvdwDCltO2J/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Clear handball, good ref
It's a lot more than that, check some videos on youtube with compilations of stuff like this from his short stint in Miami
What a goal!!!
How many golazos did he score already at Inter Miami? I remember two freekicks and this one..
Taking the worst team in the league leading them singlehandedly to the finals, amazing..
How many golazos did he score already at Inter Miami? I remember two freekicks and this one..
Taking the worst team in the league leading them singlehandedly to the finals, amazing..
Just scored with a shot from last week it was that far out.
What a goal? It was horrific goalkeeping, any competent keeper is saving that easily.
Also, singlehandedly? They made like 5 signings
The level of goalkeeping for those first two Miami goals was shocking. Not much better on the third.
You can be forgiven for thinking he joined a good club.
Inter Miami before Messi joined were winless in 11 games and scored 22 goals in 22 games. Rock bottom of the entirety of MLS.
Even when you watch them since Messi joined you can still see why they were bottom. Messi, Busquets struggle to get the ball a lot simply due to the relative shiteness in defence and progressing with the ball. Tata Martino has done an excellent job providing tactical instructions and clarity and it's a testament to Messi's ability to make teammates look better. Finnish 7th division Taylor looks like Neymar compared to what he was prior; and the Cremaschi kid has come on leaps and bounds, to the point that I'm now considering that he's got a real shot of perhaps getting a move to some European club down the line.
New signing Facundo Farias on the bench too for his debut.
Inter Miami before Messi joined were winless in 11 games and scored 22 goals in 22 games. Rock bottom of the entirety of MLS.
Even when you watch them since Messi joined you can still see why they were bottom. Messi, Busquets struggle to get the ball a lot simply due to the relative shiteness in defence and progressing with the ball. Tata Martino has done an excellent job providing tactical instructions and clarity and it's a testament to Messi's ability to make teammates look better. Finnish 7th division Taylor looks like Neymar compared to what he was prior; and the Cremaschi kid has come on leaps and bounds, to the point that I'm now considering that he's got a real shot of perhaps getting a move to some European club down the line.
New signing Facundo Farias on the bench too for his debut.
Messi in MLS is like taking prime Michael Jordan and putting him back against college players. It’s almost comically unfair. And this is him towards the end of his career.
Can Inter win the MLS next season?
He still has his legs, if not the pace and acceleration he once had. Seems a bit of a shame to not play in a more competitive league.
Does make you wonder though the sort of figures a young Ronaldo or Messi would put up in a league like MLS.
Does make you wonder though the sort of figures a young Ronaldo or Messi would put up in a league like MLS.
So Philadelphia Union's next game, tickets are $15. They were selling for $451 for tonight, and today standing room tickets were going for $175. There were rumours he might not play due to getting a knock in training which would have been kind of funny
The 91 goal in a calendar year Messi...
Imagine.
Next season? Depends on recruitment.
Not with this current squad. Even in a game like tonight, Miami are 2nd best in general play, getting swamped by Philly for a lot of the match. It's just that Messi and Busquets have such quality that they can make Miami's infrequent spells of possession matter.
There's no doubt he could have done it again this season in Europe. Even if you account for Ligue 1 not being as good as La Liga or the PL, he still outperformed his peer, Mbappe, in G+A's this past season. He also had the 2nd best successful dribbles in Europe last season too. Only Vini Jr was ahead of him, and just. It's impressive whichever way you look at it.
I think what ultimately enables him to just keep going and contributing is that he retained his ability to score despite playing much deeper, and then mastering playmaking. He's no longer the first or second runner into the box; he's the third or fourth runner because he's operating so deep, and it allows his diminished acceleration and speed to be much less of a factor.
I think it's best to go into semi retirement on a high.
This isn't true though. I've watched all their games since Messi joined.
They've dominated possession in every single game(tonight's was the closest) since Messi's been on the team.
Their 2nd half was brutal tonight, but they've generally been much better on the ball than their opposition in terms of passing the ball around.
How the feck did Beck managed to pull this off, how many millions he promised Messi?
Beckham always goes big. United, Madrid, Milan, big game player, big moments, iconic on and off the pitch, England captain, … and now the Messi signing.
He’s gonna wreck MLS and I’m all for it. Those yanks should know what a real GOAT of all sports is capable of even at the age of 36.
He is already legendary but my God what he has done for this Inter Miami club is remarkable. Its miraculous. And the joy he is having leading guys that want him to show them the way is a huge plus for MLS. The best there is, was and ever will be... Lionel Andres Messi Cuccitini