Taylor Twellman has shared what people aren’t understanding just yet about Lionel Messi after his move to Inter Miami.
The Argentine superstar rocked the soccer world last year after joining the Herons from PSG, with Messi becoming arguably the biggest player ever to sign for an MLS club in a move that has changed the league forever.
Messi and Inter Miami have quickly become the hottest ticket in town in the United States, with this weekend seeing rival manager Peter Vermes praise the 36-year-old forward for how impossible it was for his Sporting Kansas City side to deal with the reigning Ballon d’Or winner.
Yet for MLS legend Twellman, there’s one thing fans aren’t just understanding yet about Messi.
Lionel Messi is ‘fighting’ at Inter Miami after ‘retirement’ claims
Speaking on Offside with Taylor Twellman, the Apple TV pundit noted that Messi is not treating this move to Inter Miami as some quick payday or a route to early retirement, with the Argentine fully invested in the Inter Miami project.
This season has already seen Messi argue with referees and opposing coaches, most notably Monterrey’s, leading to an entire off-the-field drama and fans of the Liga MX club chanting ‘Ronaldo’ in their tie in Mexico.
Indeed, Messi has shown fight and guts since joining Inter Miami, and Twellman has been impressed with what he’s seen, with the pundit saying when asked what fans are missing: “He’s arguing with the refs, he’s fighting in that position.
“This is not a retirement for him, it may be for the kids to be in school in south Florida, but when he wears the uniform for Inter Miami and the whistle blows, he wants to beat your brains in, people don’t get that.”
Messi is proving he is taking MLS as seriously as Barcelona or PSG
MLS has had quite the unfortunate reputation over the years of being viewed as a ‘retirement league’, a tag soccer officials in the country have been working hard to overcome with an emphasis on signing younger players and selling them to Europe.
And Messi’s performances for Inter Miami are helping with this push, with the Argentine international visibly giving everything for the Herons and putting in performances to boot.
Seven goals and four assists in all competitions in eight games is an incredible return, and Messi is showing he cares about giving his all to Inter Miami this season.
