“Having Lionel Messi can influence a bit” – Inter Miami star offers honest opinion about decision between representing Argentina or USA
Inter Miami youngster Benjamin Cremaschi recently talked about choosing which national team to represent and admitted that the decision could be influenced by his teammate Lionel Messi. The 18-year-old was born in the United States but is eligible to represent Argentina.
Despite spending his entire life in Miami, Benjamin Cremaschi's linguistic fidelity is to Argentine Spanish, according to his interview with SportsCenter (via ESPN). His passion extends beyond language, as he even supports football team River Plate from his parents' homeland.
Cremaschi has been called up to the U20 sides of both nations, a situation he is enjoying. In the interview, he said:
"I talk to the two federations. It's very nice to be in the process of both of them and very involved in the club, with the day-to-day. Obviously, I'm going to have to make a decision later."
Cremaschi's career is still young, but he will soon need to choose between the United States or Argentina. He revealed that Lionel Messi could have a potential influence on the eventual decision:
"Having Messi can influence a bit. There is time."
The mere experience of playing alongside Lionel Messi is an extraordinary one for the 18-year-old. Talking about their last match against Dallas, he added:
"Having Leo there and seeing him take a free kick in the 84th minute to tie the game. Something that only he does. It's something impressive."
Lionel Messi's MLS debut delayed following Inter Miami's thrilling progress in the Leagues Cup
The highly anticipated Major League Soccer (MLS) debut of Argentine legend Lionel Messi has been put on hold, owing to Inter Miami's success in the Leagues Cup. Messi, who recently joined Miami, played a crucial role in the club's eight-goal thriller against FC Dallas in the Round of 16, contributing two goals.
Inter Miami triumphed in the penalty shootout, where they outshined their opponents 5-3. This means that the next stage of their journey will be a quarterfinal encounter against Charlotte FC.
Interestingly, this match in the last eight of the Leagues Cup has created an unexpected fixture clash. Miami were initially scheduled to face Charlotte in an MLS fixture on August 20, but this game has now been officially postponed.
August 20th MLS regular season match update ⚽️
Our regular season MLS match on August 20th against Charlotte FC has been postponed to a later date to be announced due to progression within the @leaguescup. Tickets originally purchased for the Aug. 20 MLS match will be honored… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… pic.twitter.com/fYjsF2T8wp
In a statement on Twitter, Inter Miami announced:
"Our regular season MLS match on August 20th against Charlotte FC has been postponed to a later date to be announced due to progression within the Leagues Cup. Tickets originally purchased for the Aug. 20 MLS match will be honored for the new date in which the game will be played."
Messi's impact on the American football scene has been nothing short of remarkable. In just four appearances, the World Cup winner has already found the back of the net seven times, elevating him to the all-time joint-fourth highest goalscorer for Inter Miami.