Say what you want about Ronaldo – that’s kind of the point of this website! – but he has always fit snugly into a team. By that we mean, whether it’s Manchester United, Real Madrid, or Juventus, he has always managed to slot neatly into an existing system and make it better. He’s one of the biggest football stars on the planet, but it seems that clubs have never shifted to accommodate him, he’s shifted to accommodate the club.
In many ways, Messi has managed the same thing. When he was playing at Barcelona, he was a perfect piece of the puzzle, thriving in a structure that was already built on fluidity, vision, and relentless passing. But is the same true at Inter Miami? Right now, the team is experiencing great success, but there are a few tell-tale signs that things might eventually go the opposite way.
The Golden Years
When Messi touched down in Florida, the spotlight was seismic. Ticket prices skyrocketed, worldwide attention descended on the MLS, and for fans partial to sportsbooks, it’s fair to say football betting odds swung all the way in Inter Miami’s favour – after all, who would bet against a superstar like Messi?
Since then, his presence has transformed the team both on and off the pitch, having been instrumental in Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup win and the victory at the Club World Cup. The last few years have certainly been golden, and the club is now playing better than ever, but there are a few things to take heed of. The most prominent being Inter Miami’s change in style.
Is Messi Becoming Too Big for Inter Miami?
The question isn’t quite whether Messi is becoming too big for Inter Miami, but whether he was always too big. When he arrived, the club was at a bit of a crossroads, and so of course, the structure changed to accommodate him. Messi often drops deep to orchestrate play, which can leave gaps in the forward press or cause disjointed transitions when he’s not involved in the build-up. As a result of this, when Messi isn’t there, you can already see the fluidity dropping, with the team as a whole struggling to find its rhythm.
This might not seem too concerning now, but Messi isn’t going to stick around forever. At some point, he’s going to retire or move to a new club, and what will Inter Miami do when this eventually happens? It takes years to build a cohesive, resilient team identity, and if that identity has been too tightly wound around one player, the aftermath can be rough. Not to mention, this isn’t just a Messi problem that they’re dealing with. The squad itself is being built around a number of veteran players, and while they bring experience and chemistry, it does raise the question surrounding Inter Miami’s long-term success.
Conclusion
Messi isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so this is probably not something to worry about just yet. But it’s important that the club recognises their success hangs on both the present and the future. Good football is all about building and maintaining structure, and Inter Miami will have to hope that what they’re building now isn’t on the back of one player. Messi is potentially the best football player in the world. But Inter Miami – and, indeed, every club – should always have their sights on being the best team in the world.