ESPNJ16. Jul 2023 1:53pm ET2 Minute Read
Messi makes Vice City dreams come true with his move to Miami
Inter Miami fans and residents of the city can’t wait for Lionel Messi to take the field for their team.
DC United manager Wayne Rooney said that Lionel Messi “will not have an easy time” in Major League Soccer when he joins Inter Miami.
In an interview with The Times of London, Manchester United legend Rooney said many players come to MLS and struggle to adapt and Messi may be no different.
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“Everything is set for him,” Rooney said. “He has all his friends with him! [Sergio] Busquets and Jordi Alba have signed for Inter Miami and maybe [Andres] Iniesta will join them. Luis Suarez too. Messi has a coach [Inter Miami manager Tata Martino] he likes and trusts. It’s huge, especially given what’s happening in Saudi Arabia, that MLS will lure Messi.
“It won’t be easy for him here. It sounds crazy but the players that come in think it’s a tough league. The travelling, the different conditions in different cities and there is a lot of energy and intensity on the pitch.”
After leaving United after 14 years, Rooney made 52 appearances for DC United in the two-year period 2018-20, scoring 25 goals before returning as manager last July.
Messi will be unveiled later on Sunday at an event at Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Argentine striker joins Miami after leaving French champions Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons with the club. He has signed a contract until the end of the 2025 MLS season.
The club announced that Messi will be available for the first time in the League Cup match against Mexican club Cruz Azul on July 21.