"There is no better ambition than to come to a team trying to win the MLS" - Luis Suarez after debuting for Lionel Messi's Inter Miami
Inter Miami striker Luis Suarez made his debut for the Lionel Messi-captained MLS side in their 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake. The Herons began the season with an impressive win and clean sheet.
Luis Suarez plundered 29 goals for Brasileirao Serie A outfit Gremio in 2023 to win the league's Player of the Year award. The 37-year-old then decided to reunite with his old teammates (Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Messi) in Florida for a new project in the MLS.
After a number of less-than-ideal performances in their pre-season tour, Inter Miami delivered a top-notch performance against Real Salt Lake at home. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were both providers in the game, grabbing one assist each in the encounter.
Following the match, the Uruguayan striker sounded confident when asked about his side's ambition and goals for the season.
Suarez said (via ESPN):
"There is no better ambition and desire than to come to a team that won its first title last year [the Leagues Cup] and try to win the MLS, a title that the club has never achieved."
He added:
"That is the desire, the challenge that I and the rest of the team have, to achieve that first [league] title at club level which would be very important in MLS."
Suarez and Messi were two-thirds of a formidable strike partnership that rocked Spain and Europe a decade back, with the third member being Neymar. The Uruguayan striker intends to end his career in Miami, as he revealed after joining the side.
Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi vital in Inter Miami win
Inter Miami made light work of Real Salt Lake in front of their home fans to begin their season perfectly. Messi had an effort cleared off the line from a direct free-kick before turning provider for the opener after 39 minutes.
The 36-year-old played a through ball into space for Robert Taylor to run onto, and the Finn finished smartly to give Inter a 1-0 lead in the game.
Messi and Suarez then displayed some of their understanding for the second goal, by combining with one another before the latter played in Diego Gomez. The Paraguayan midfielder then fired the ball into the back of the net to double the lead for Inter Miami.
The Herons will return to action with a match against LA Galaxy on Monday, February 26.