What a time it is to be an Inter Miami fan.
In the first home game since Lionel Messi announced on June 7 that he would be taking his talents to Miami, 17,053 fans filled the pink and black stands in DRV PNK Stadium on a gloomy Saturday night for the Inter Miami vs Austin match.
Many were already sporting Messi’s Inter Miami No. 10 jersey with some sporting his old Barcelona jersey.
The entire world blew up when the news broke around Messi, but in South Florida, the feelings were even more amplified. Inter Miami fan Christian Triay said he couldn’t believe it.
“I was pretty shocked, even though all of the rumors were going around saying that he was potentially coming,” Triay said. “It’s something that you don’t believe until it happens so when it happened, I couldn’t believe it all.”
Boca Raton native Ben McCann and his family were invited to an Inter Miami game last season and were so pleased with the experience that they decided to purchase season tickets this year for his wife’s birthday. When the news broke, he was more excited for his wife.
“I was super excited for my wife and her family cause they’re Argentinian,” McCann said. “So, that was pretty amazing.”
When his wife, Cintia McCann, heard the news at work, she had to separate herself due to all of the emotions she experienced.
“I started crying at work,” she said. “One of my coworkers got the newsflash and he came and told me and I was like ‘WHAT’, and started crying. I had to step away and recoup.”
Messi isn’t the only new player that Miami is welcoming. Sergio Busquets, is also joining the team as a free agent and is expected to play alongside his former FC Barcelona teammate against Cruz Azul in the opener of the inaugural Leagues Cup tournament July 21.
According to Miami native Gustavo Mojica, Busquets is a perfect fit for Inter Miami.
“Busquet is going to be a good combination,” Mojica said. “I think everybody’s gonna be upgraded. I think [Rodolfo] Pizarro is gonna do good because of Messi. I think [Leonardo] Campana is gonna be upgraded because of Messi. I think Busquet is going to hold on to the center field and make everything happen from then on out. I think obviously Messi is going to have a significant impact, but Busquet is going to be a significant under-the-radar impact that’s gonna be good for the team.”
