āReportingā from Miami
Lionel Messi will debut for his new club, Inter Miami, tonight in Leagues Cup play against Cruz Azul. But already people are thinking about what comes next.
Multiple people - not me! - asked Inter Miami manager Tata Martino about the teamās path to the Concacaf Champions Cup, even using the updated tournament name.
Martino noted that it is a goal for the team. And, Inter Miami does have multiple paths to continental competition still available, notably the U.S. Open Cup which sends its winner to the CCC and the Leagues Cup, which begins tonight and sends the top three to the Concacaf competition.
Itās free to dream, so letās dream of a few potential future headlines we might see when Lionel Messi and Co. make it to Concacaf competition! Feel free to add your own:
āItās very beautifulā - Messi shocks with first words of English in CCC trip to Trinidad and Tobago for Port of Spain showdown
Messiās status in doubt as organizers scramble to repair field at national stadium mere hours after Bad Bunny concert
Nine-man Inter Miami tops eight-man CobƔn Imperial after skirmish sees red cards fly
Top 10 Messi moments vs. Atletico Madrid as he prepares for first contest vs. Atletico Ottawa
Inter Miami, Messi denied entry to expanded Club World Cup by staunch Saprissa side
āWeāve always respected Olancho FCā Messi insists on arrival in Honduras
The FASt and the furious: Messi, Miami left fuming after shock in El Salvador
āHaitian Messiā matches Argentine one as Don Bosco FC draws Inter in Haitian clubsā return to Concacaf competition
āIt was thanks to Getting CONCACAFedā - Messi credits obscure newsletter for keeping him prepared en route to CCC championship
Looking for more āseriousā Leagues Cup coverage?
I joined the Extra Time crew to preview every single group, giving a quick look at each Liga MX team
Iāve written two pieces for the tournamentās official site, where Iāll be doing stories on the cultural implications around the competition and going deeper on a few playersā stories. The first was about how both old-school Miami Fusion/long-time Miami soccer fans and new arrivals are pretty stoked to see Messi. The second looked at businesses in Miami owned by Argentines and Latin Americans who are trying to capture the vibe around the city with special tributes to the World Cup champion.
You clicking over helps convince them they did a smart thing by hiring me, so itās appreciated!I joined the venerable Bet MLS podcast as their first-ever guest for quick handicapping chat.
For MLSā site I ran through 10 Liga MX players who will be familiar faces to fans of the league and also 10 of Liga MXās biggest stars.
Hooray! Letās Leagues Cup! And Womenās World Cup! Lots of soccer!
Thanks for some fun reading this Friday! Would love to see Messi play a game in Juticalpa, Honduras. Would be a sight to see!
This first one is a doozy and will ensure a sold out stadium for sure.