Is this still football? It hurts to see Messi like this at Inter Miami
Lionel Messi advances to the round of 16 of the Club World Cup with Inter Miami. But the clash with PSG will once again remind him that his best days are over. He turned 38 today, and yet he still has to play, play, play in Miami – so the new stadium can attract fans.
Had he still been good old Lionel Messi , he would have given his team a dressing down on the pitch in Miami. The reigning world champion's frustration was evident.
Instead, he puffed out his cheeks behind his now thick beard and stoically endured his opponents stealing his jersey as a souvenir.
He and Inter Miami led 2-0 against Palmeiras in their final group match at the Club World Cup , then carelessly squandered the lead in the second half. That sort of thing annoys Messi.
Because the 2-2 draw doesn't bode well: They've reached the round of 16, but their new challenge is now Paris Saint-Germain. Messi played there until 2023.
In Paris, they poured millions into him for years, but he wasn't able to lead PSG to the Champions League. Things improved when he left.
Paris Saint-Germain enters this direct clash as European Cup winners, and Messi will have no chance of advancing with this Inter Miami. The Palmeiras game demonstrated that once again.
Messi mostly trotted at walking pace between the center circle and the penalty area, never taking a step too far and certainly not doing any defensive work. He relied solely on the genius of his left foot.
Even though the jersey had long since been in new hands, he still wore his captain's armband so everyone could see who was the boss. This wasn't always apparent during the game.
Where is the Messi who dictates the game? Where is the Messi who treats opponents like slalom poles? It's immediately apparent in the stadium: He's degenerated into a static footballer.
No wonder. The Argentinian turns 38 today and joins the veterans' club of his teammates Luis Suarez and Óscar Ustari. Actually, he doesn't need all that anymore.
Nevertheless, he is playing for Inter Miami in early retirement and has to accept that he will never again reach the level that made him a world footballer and a treble winner with Barcelona in 2015.
You suffer in the stands with Messi: The quality of his teammates at Inter Miami seems to me like an insult to the majesty of one of the greatest in world football.
Whenever he plays a short pass or creates a goal-scoring opportunity, it happens too often that one of his team members stumbles, misses, and gives the ball away.
It's like tennis doubles at Wimbledon: You hammer the best serves into the court, get every return to your opponent - but your teammate hits the next ball into the net.
Inter Miami is only participating in the World Cup, the world's best clubs, because FIFA President Gianni Infantino granted an exception. Messi is always good for marketing. A mascot.
According to Transfermarkt.de , his current value is €18 million. But that number is nonsense. For Inter Miami, Messi is priceless.
His contract with Beckham's club expires at the end of December, but Inter Miami has no choice: President Mas must extend the contract for at least one year, if not two. Otherwise, this artificial Inter Miami will collapse immediately.
The new Inter Miami stadium, "Miami Freedom Park," is being built right next to the airport. It's a magnificent building with a capacity of 25,000 spectators. Construction costs: $350 million. And with infrastructure, it'll cost a billion euros.
Just imagine: Inter's new home is completed in 2026 – and Messi is no longer playing there. How is that going to work? Miami has no choice: Messi has to stay, no matter what the cost.
His annual salary is reportedly still $20 million. But with marketing, he reportedly earns $50 to $60 million a year. A million a week: insane!
And to make it all worthwhile, the Messi phenomenon is being marketed like the Statue of Liberty. In Miami, his name follows me everywhere. Even in the shopping mall.
Messi in blue and white without a photo, Messi in black with a photo: You can't even miss Lionel Messi in the JC Penny clothing store in the famous Aventura Mall in Miami.
Three T-shirts from the Messi collection are tempting on the clothes rack and are being sold at a special price: 20 percent off everything. Specifically: $28 instead of $35 for a single Messi shirt.
Messi is on ice at the supermarket: His soft drink "Messi Mas+" is available in dangerously colorful flavors. Two for $4.
One must be cautious about the number of Messi jerseys Inter Miami has sold since signing him in 2023. There are no official figures. But 1.2 million have never been denied.
To put that into perspective: More Messi jerseys were sold than those of the 25 other top players in the MLS combined. US soccer is: Messi, Messi, and nothing else.
With advertising revenue like that, you have to keep the crowd happy. Stadium fans do that in their own way as soon as Messi shows even the slightest sign of life on the pitch.
Then they throw their arms in the air as if in prayer and roar Messi's name across the arena with the longest drawl possible. It almost has a religious quality.
I'm sitting among the spectators and just thinking to myself: That down there has nothing to do with football. And certainly nothing to do with Messi, who rewritten football history.
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