You can’t imagine certain athletes and teams as the underdog. The Manchester City side that just rampaged to the treble will surely play second fiddle to no team in the betting odds next season. Floyd Mayweather and his almost impervious defence were hardly worth betting on during the second half of his career, such was his primacy. Then you have Lionel Messi.
When was the last time the greatest footballer of this era and, in the eyes of many, the world was an underdog? Rarely was Messi in this role at the Nou Camp, perhaps only in some delicately balanced El Clasico collisions with Real Madrid. Ditto the Argentine’s stay at Paris Saint-Germain. While the lazy “farmer’s league” jibes on social media are wide of the mark, it is true that the Gulf-funded megaclub from the capital rules the roost in France.
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Even at international level, Messi has rarely been surrounded with poor players. While Argentina underachieved for much of his career, a Copa America in 2021 and a World Cup last winter have put his time with the national side in perspective. Even during disappointing spells they were always more underachievers than minnows, with Messi always joined by some considerable talent in the squad even if they weren’t gelling with each other.
So for the first time in his career, Messi walks into a team that is struggling. Not struggling relatively, as Barcelona did when coming third in Messi’s final Camp Nou season. But actually, bona fide struggling. A player that has illuminated some of the greatest teams ever assembled will now attempt to revive the team who sit rock bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.
The club, part-owned by David Beckham no less, is in a state of flux. They have lost 12 of 17 games this season. Interim coach Javier Morales took over from Phil Neville earlier in the season. The fact one member of the Class of 92 had to effectively sack another shows just how shipwrecked the whole operation is.
It is here that Messi will be charged with spreading his magic. A club who can barely buy a win, can’t keep a coach and whose most famous player before his arrival was ex-Newcastle United and Sunderland full-back Deandre Yedlin. We’re not in Camp Nou any more, Toto.
So how will Messi take to his new role as part of a ragtag band of misfits looking to claw their way up the league? While many are dismissing this Stateside sojourn as a lucrative semi-retirement by the beach, we may learn a lot about a man many call ‘The GOAT'. He’s proven he can be the jewel in the crown in Catalonia. He was a still-gleaming gem in an overstuffed sceptre in the French capital. Now Messi is the jeweller putting the whole thing together.
Given his profile and the attraction he provides in Florida, he is likely to have an outsized influence on who joins him. Former teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Angel di Maria have all been linked with a move. All would have an impact in a team that has struggled mightily. But as many an MLS franchise has found out down the years, the Designated Players can only do so much. If their signing doesn’t improve those around them, the league regulars and the young college stars that make up an MLS squad, then the club can only go so far.
Messi should help on that score. He is known to be generous with his time with teammates and sets incredibly high standards even at 35 years of age. Miami may be in the least desirable league position in the East, but they are perhaps in the most desirable bargaining position. There are very few talents emerging from the American college system who would not be thrilled to line up alongside Lionel Messi. Ditto some of the league’s finer homegrown talent. Messi is a draw for players as well as supporters.
This is no mere holiday for Messi. While Florida is home to America’s retirement paradise, the Argentine icon isn’t going to put his feet up. In fact, in a lot of ways this is the toughest challenge he’s had to deal with so far. We’ve had Messi the wonderkid, Messi the GOAT and Messi the World Cup winning veteran. Now it’s time for Messi the minnow.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
