Lionel Messi meets El Salvador president Nayib Bukele, image goes viral on social media
Lionel Messi and his teammates from Inter Miami met El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele during their visit to the country, and the image went viral on social media. Bukele made an impromptu visit to see the team, reportedly leading to a 15-minute delay in starting the match.
Bukele took to social media to share images of his interaction with the players:
The game at Estadio Cuscatlan, witnessed by around 30,000 spectators, didn't live up to the excitement as it concluded without any goals.
Lionel Messi took to the pitch with his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez. The Argentine legend had several attempts to score during the game, and he also set Jordi Alba up with a big chance in the 39th minute. However, El Salvador goalkeeper Mario Gonzalez deflected the shot.
The match might have seen a goal in the second half, but Inter Miami coach Tata Martino decided to rest his key players. This change didn't hinder Inter Miami from dominating possession though, but the biggest scoring chance fell to El Salvador, who hit the crossbar in the 83rd minute.
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023 and has since made a significant impact by scoring 10 goals in his first seven games, leading them to win the Leagues Cup. Looking ahead, Miami have a busy schedule as they are set to play FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl, followed by a trip to Saudi Arabia where they'll face Al Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.
Lothar Matthaus questions Lionel Messi's FIFA The Best award
Lothar Matthaus has openly questioned Lionel Messi winning the Best FIFA Award for 2023. During his appearance on Sky Deutschland, the former Ballon d'Or winner opined that Messi was not the rightful recipient of this year's award, saying (via Daily Post):
“He can’t be the winner this time. I think he was the best footballer of the last 20 years, but he has been in Paris and Miami, where he is now creating hype, and not won any major titles."
Matthaus argued that Manchester City super striker Erling Haaland was more deserving of the honor.
“If you look at the great successes, there is no way past Manchester City and – when choosing the best player – Erling Haaland. He won the most important titles with Man City. His strike rate was impressive. That should be decisive when you choose the best and most important player – and that was Haaland," Matthaus added.
Before Messi picked up The Best award, he won his eighth Ballon d'Or award, thanks to him leading Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.