“It motivates me to have him in front of me” – Mexico international on facing Lionel Messi in Leagues Cup clash against Inter Miami
Mexico international Carlos Salcedo is excited about the chance to welcome Lionel Messi to north America when Inter Miami play his side Cruz Azul at the DRV PNK Stadium on July 21 in a Leagues Cup clash.
Caicedo is looking to make the most of the opportunity and is taking motivation from Messi's presence in the opposing team. He said (via El Grafico):
"Messi's presence gives a special touch to the match with Inter Miami, it motivates me to have him in front of me. Before I knew he was coming, the approach was totally different from this situation. I'm excited."
He added:
"The respect and admiration that I have for Messi is enormous. I want to greet Messi and thank him and express my admiration. He and Cristiano have been an inspiration. Obviously I'm going to ask him for a photo with my son, who admires him."
Salcedo added:
"MLS is a very competitive league, which is refining its quality. Athletically it is a very complete league. Everyone is an athlete there. Messi is still in very good shape physically and with his quality he will be noticed."
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent after the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract. Fans are keen to see how Messi performs after bringing an end to his stint in European football.
Former Barcelona star spoke about Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami
After his PSG spell, Lionel Messi was linked with a return to Barcelona as well as with a move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
Former Barca player Hristo Stoichkov has said Messi moved to the MLS because of his love for football.
Stoichkov further said that Messi's decision was not based on monetary profit alone. Speaking about the Argentina captain's move to Inter Miami, Stoichkov said (via GOAL):
"We didn't play for money. We played for love. This shows greatness. It didn't matter to me to know my salary or the bonuses. For me, it was more important to play and that people value me."
He added:
"The agents take care of the other things. Messi comes to compete and play, and he doesn't care about money because he loves football."
Lionel Messi's presence is expected to uplift the standard of the MLS and also the craze surrounding it. Inter Miami has also signed Sergio Busquets, and Gerardo Martino, formerly of Barcelona, was recently appointed the new coach of the club.