Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami has sparked a global phenomenon, drawing unprecedented attention to Major League Soccer. The impact has been felt not only by fans, but by the players who lived it firsthand. One of them stated that the Argentine superstar transformed the Florida club from one of the league’s worst into the “Real Madrid of MLS.”
Josef Martinez, one of the most prolific scorers in league history, joined Inter Miami in January 2023 from Atlanta United. When Messi arrived that June, the Venezuelan striker was already a key figure at the club. Speaking on the La Vinotinto podcast, Martínez shared what it was like before and after Messi’s debut.
“When I joined Inter Miami, it was El Combate (The Combat) FC. When it became official (Messi’s signing), it went from being the worst team in MLS to the Real Madrid of MLS,” Martinez stated. At the time, Inter Miami sat at the bottom of the table. But with Messi’s arrival, everything changed.
“Before Messi’s first training session, not even people on Instagram knew us, not even the club’s own journalists came. That was the first time I met my godfather, and people who didn’t even know I existed were writing to me. Outside, there were 1,000 journalists—when before, we had seen maybe one. And there were 50,000 people at the first training session. It changed overnight,” added Josef.
Now with the San Jose Earthquakes, Martínez recalled the moment Messi made his debut with a memorable free-kick winner against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. “The day that impressed me the most was the debut, when Busquets, Messi, and I came in—that famous free-kick goal.
“Derek Jeter was there, Serena Williams, even LeBron James. If those people go to see that guy (Messi), just imagine how great he is. Even my mom didn’t want to go to games before, and at that point, everyone wanted to go,” he added.
Messi’s impact in the squad
The moment Messi arrived, Inter Miami were quite far from the playoffs zone and for being a dominant team in the MLS. However, Martinez admitted that his influence as a captain and his way of playing boosted a team that lacked from stars.
“He had already won everything, and yet he was there and was the first to arrive. He might be the most disciplined, but with us—or at least with me—he was great. That made you feel like you had to match his level. Before, there were players who couldn’t even complete a pass,” Josef Martinez admitted.
The striker then named the case of Robert Taylor, who has a great relationship, but struggled before Messi’s arrival: “Taylor couldn’t score on God himself. Messi arrived, and he became the team’s top scorer. Everyone’s level rose. The next day, you weren’t going to eat an arepa, because you couldn’t afford to fail. From being a team nobody watched, to being the biggest spotlight in the league—you couldn’t afford to fail.”
Two years after his arrival, Messi continues to captivate North America—breaking attendance records at Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, and Vancouver Whitecaps games. Most recently, NFL star Patrick Mahomes was spotted in the crowd for Inter Miami’s match against the NY Red Bulls, further proving that the excitement surrounding Messi hasn’t faded.