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It's finally happening. Lionel Messi is coming to the MLS. Last week, the Argentine confirmed that he will be taking his talents to Inter Miami this summer after spending the last two seasons at PSG. While a Barcelona reunion was a possibility, there were still too many hoops to jump through in order to make it a reality, while Messi also wasn't interested in playing in Saudi Arabia, despite a ridiculous offer of over $1 billion.
At this point, it does appear that Messi will make his Inter Miami debut sometime in July, which means he has a good few months to make his mark at the club since the MLS season does run through October. Although the club is currently last in the Eastern Conference, you can only believe that his arrival should instantly make a difference.
Without further ado, here are three predictions for Lionel Messi in his first season at Inter Miami.
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1. Messi will score once per game
If Messi's debut comes on July 8th against DC United, that means he has 15 games at the very least to play, with Inter's season finale on October 21st. Right now, this side is absolutely toothless in the final third, scoring a mere 16 times in 17 league outings. They've bagged just two goals in their last four appearances. Josef Martinez, the former Atlanta United star, is their top producer but he's only got four tallies in 15 games.
Will Messi instantly take Inter out of the gutter? Well, not exactly. However, we have to remember that he just led Argentina to a World Cup in Qatar at 35 years old and was named the best player of the tournament. Messi hasn't lost a thing. He can still score goals, play provider, and make defenders look silly with his phenomenal footwork. Just ask Croatia center-back Josko Gvardiol, who was a victim of Messi's brilliance in the semifinals.
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The reality is the MLS is not Europe. Yes, it's improving each and every year, but they're not quite on the level of what Messi is used to. Unlike a lot of stars in the world, Messi doesn't always need teammates to put him in the right spots to bag goals. He can do it all alone a lot of the time as well. The La Albicelete star should score on his debut and net at least once every match. Honestly, that's just expected.
2. Inter Miami will push for a playoff spot
There's a lot more to success on a football pitch than producing the goods in front of goal. Inter Miami is by no means great defensively, conceding 24 so far this term. That being said, there are rumors gaining traction that Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba could both follow their former Barcelona teammate to South Beach. If these two did join the club, it would make a massive difference for their stability at the back.
It does seem like at least one of them will sign with Miami. That should seriously help their defense. When it comes to their attack though, the presence of Lionel Messi alone will instill confidence in this squad. He's also a phenomenal facilitator who can make everyone around him better and expect that to be the case.
At the moment, Inter Miami is seven off the final playoff spot in the East. That's quite the uphill battle and there are still quite a few games left until Messi's potential debut since his PSG contract doesn't expire until June 30th. Nevertheless, Messi will make his presence strongly felt and at least help Inter push for a postseason spot. It's probably unlikely they qualify, but the team will undoubtedly improve a lot.
