Lionel Messi kicked off the Major League Soccer preseason with Inter Miami CF, who played to a 0-0 tie with the El Salvador national team on Friday night. Messi was awarded FIFA’s best men’s player four days earlier.
The Argentine ace and Luis Suarez, a striker from Uruguay who will be his new colleague in the MLS, played together in the first half. After spending six seasons together at Barcelona, Suarez and Messi were reunited in Miami.
The Cuscatlán stadium was full of spectators many hours before the game began. Prior to the match, the squad was invited at the Presidential House by El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, who seized the chance to see Messi.
Messi had two scoring opportunities and put Jordi Alba in position for a goal in the 39th minute, but Mario González, the goalie, deflected the effort.
In the second half, Messi, Suárez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets were rested by Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino. Although the team maintained possession, El Salvador’s greatest opportunity to score came in the 83rd minute when Steven Vázquez’s effort struck the crossbar.
After moving to Miami in July of last year, Messi, 36, scored 10 goals in seven matches. On August 19, he helped the team win its first-ever title by leading it to the Leagues Cup final.
Next Monday, Inter Miami will play FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl. On January 29 and February 2, the team will fly to Saudi Arabia to play Al Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, respectively.
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