Lionel Messi, one of the biggest faces of soccer on the planet is set to ply his trade in the United States after agreeing to join Inter Miami CF. Since his announcement there have been so many questions, and one of them has been ‘how has he done when he’s played on American soil?’. So, we decided to take a look back and recap some of his biggest performances with club and country in the matches he’s played in the USA.
THE FIRST TIME
The Argentine star had his first glimpse of ‘soccer’ in the USA back in 2006 when his club, FC Barcelona, came to the United States for pre-season friendlies. At the time, Messi was a rising star that had begun to showcase his immense talent.
In their second match against Club America at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, he would get his first chance to shine. He came on in the 62nd minute to officially debut in the U.S. The game ended in a 4-4 draw with both teams putting on an exciting and entertaining performance. But it was in the next match, against the New York Red Bulls where he would be subbed on at half time and would score his first goal on American soil in the 61st minute.
WITH ARGENTINA
With the Albiceleste, Leo got his chance in 2008, when his country played a friendly in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. By then, Messi was already establishing himself as one of the world’s best players and a focal point to Argentina.
The friendly in hand was against Mexico and it didn’t disappoint. The South American side put a thrashing on El Tri, beating them 4-1. “La Pulga" would score one goal in the match and was subbed off in the 84th minute.
THE HIGHLIGHT
The friendly match between Argentina and Brazil in 2012 is often remembered as one of Lionel Messi’s standout performances with his national team. The match took place on June 9th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In this high-profile encounter, Messi delivered a memorable display, leading Argentina to a 4-3 victory over their South American rivals. He played a crucial role in his team's success, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist.
A MOMENT OF DISAPPOINTMENT
Maybe one of the saddest days for Lionel Messi was back in 2016 when Argentina lost the Copa America Centenario Final against Chile. The match took place on June 26th, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In what was a rematch of the previous year's Copa America final, Messi and Argentina were aiming to secure the title after falling short in 2015 against the same opponents. However, the final ended in a 0-0 draw after extra time, and Chile ultimately won the match 4-2 in a penalty shootout. But probably the worst part for Messi was the fact that he missed his spot-kick, hitting over the crossbar.
As we can see, Messi has played many matches all over the United States and should be well prepared for what’s to come when he joins up with Inter Miami. The Argentine legend has had plenty of wonderful moments and all the soccer fans in the USA can be ecstatic about what they’re about to witness.
