‘Don’t jump the gun!’ - Lionel Messi ‘playing free’ again but Tata Martino reluctant to discuss MLS play-offs at Inter Miami after one game

Many are tipping the Herons to put themselves in contention for MLS Cup glory, having secured a historic Leagues Cup triumph last season. With eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi on their books, and the new campaign opened with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake, the Florida-based outfit appear ready to move through the gears.

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They have never won a play-off game, following two previous visits to that stage, but head coach Tata Martino is reluctant to start making wild predictions about rewriting the history books with there so much competitive action to come. He said when asked about Inter Miami’s post-season record: “You don't have to jump the gun. It was just one game.”

While wary of getting caught up in future talk, Martino is pleased with what he is seeing in the present. He added on watching Messi rediscover a spark following an injury-hit pre-season: “If anybody had been sceptical about what this team can do, I think the first half showed them. I saw [Messi] playing free on the field. And with the same fine touch he always had. And he showed some speed too. He has a characteristic that no other player has. He grabs the ball very far from the rival goal and the feeling he gives is that he will generate something and will end in a goal situation. The play he had alone against two players at the end of the game is a sign that he is good physically and also happy to be on the pitch.”

Martino went on to say of Messi’s partnership with former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez, which is being rekindled in the United States: “I had been saying since we got back from Japan two weeks ago that we needed to have more training sessions together for them to rediscover their rhythm. In their case, they know each other well, but it takes time for them to find that connection again that they had in Barcelona.”

Having opened the 2024 campaign with a comfortable win, Inter Miami are now preparing to head out on the road. A mad scramble for tickets in California – with the potential for more A-list guests in attendance – has already been sparked ahead of a meeting with the LA Galaxy on Sunday.