‘He goes into a different mode’ - Lionel Messi’s former Inter Miami teammates reveal his big-game mentality ahead of England clash

When Messi arrived at Inter Miami in 2023, the Herons were struggling. They were near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and had spent a bulk of the offseason quite clearly clearing cap space to spend big in the summer. Messi was one acquisition - co-owner David Beckham had alluded to his signature on multiple occasions. Then there was Sergio Busquets, with Jordi Alba thrown in for good measure.

Miller, now with the Portland Timbers, was a seasoned MLS veteran and established Canadian international. One day, after months of speculation, the duo just arrived. And Miller was, quite literally, caught in the middle.

"My locker was actually in between him and Busquets, so I was just sitting there, texting my friends and my parents and my wife, saying 'I can't believe it.' I'm sitting in between these two legends," Miller said.

Miami had heard stories about what Messi was like around the locker room. The chatter around Messi has always been shrouded in mythology. He doesn't do many interviews. He doesn't say loads.

No one really knows if he speaks English. Miller was baffled to find out something: they were all true.

"All those reports and superstitions and things like that that people have about him are kind of true. He's kind of a fly on the wall in the dressing room. He doesn't speak too much and just goes about his business in terms of training and gym work and stuff like that," Miller said.

But then, it got intense. A playoff spot was basically a lost cause by the time Messi arrived. But Miami did have a genuine shot at silverware with the 2023 Leagues Cup. The tournament, which pits Liga MX against MLS, was an ideal platform for what could be a signature cup run - and Miami's first trophy as a professional club.

"The playoffs didn't seem too possible at the time, and we just said as a team, Leagues Cup is a perfect opportunity to have a season within the season where we can try to set things straight," Miller said.

Messi obliged in his performance alone. There were a few questions asked as to his potential impact when he arrived in Miami. After winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, Messi had rather sauntered through the end of the season with PSG. Fitness could have been a real issue. And even if Messi's talent was transcendent, there are never any guarantees with MLS.

All of those concerns were vanquished.

"The first game, he came off the bench. I think it was one of his first touches, he scored a free kick," Miller recalled. "So that was pretty crazy."

There were plenty of other moments, too. After cruising through the group stage and seeing off Orlando City in the round of 32, Miami faced a difficult road matchup against a resurgent FC Dallas. They trailed 4-2 in the second half before mounting a comeback, with Messi’s late free kick forcing penalties.

"He scored an unreal free kick that game," Miller recalled.

For good measure, he scored another - a wonderful solo effort - against Nashville in the final. Miami went on to win on penalties.

Fafa Picault saw a similar story. He signed for Miami at the start of the 2025 season, brought in for his pace and directness in attack. The Herons needed runners to dart into space and play off the Argentine. Picault was the perfect fit.

And he saw Messi in a similar mode. Miami were fighting on three fronts in 2025: MLS, Leagues Cup and Club World Cup. Messi had a record-breaking MLS regular season and helped lift Miami to their first win against a European opponent in the Club World Cup.

"You can see he goes into a different mode, especially playoff mode. I can go back to the Club World Cup mode. There are different moments where you see him and that desire to win even more. When it comes to knockout situations and not wanting to lose, you can see that other side of him kind of just come out a bit more, and he just becomes a more intense player," Picault said.

The winger attributes it to a natural competitive streak - but also speculated that Messi's age plays a role. He is now 39, and has survived multiple generations of football. The game, in effect, has changed around him. But Messi is still cut from the cloth of a more fiercely competitive era.

"You could tell that he's one of those that came from that generation, and that's why he's still able to do what he's doing - I think at this age and the dedication and everything he's put forward," Picault said.

It helped lift Picault, too - not least because he had to fight, too. Born to Haitian parents in New York City, Picault left Serie A side Cagliari at 20, and was clubless before working his way back into the professional game in the NASL. He would never pretend to match Messi for skill. But the grit? He saw it.

"I grew up in the era, and I started my career in an era where you have to really fight to get everything, especially how my career went. Yeah. So it's kind of something when I see it from him, I just try to match it and do the best possible in training to match that and be as ready as possible for games that will be requiring that extra edge," he said.

And it worked. Miami lifted the MLS Cup. Picault got to celebrate.

"It's definitely been a joy to not only watch but then also be a part of a small, small, small percentage of his long football journey," Picault said.

And so we turn to the World Cup. Argentina’s campaign has not always been convincing, even if Messi’s numbers suggest otherwise. The defending champions survived difficult moments against Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland, with Messi reduced to tears after the dramatic comeback against Egypt.

But in moments, he has still shown flashes of his best. There is also the irrefutable fact that he is tied atop the Golden Boot leaderboard. It's funny to say that he could well finish as the tournament's top scorer and captain the winning team without playing particularly well.

For Picault, it's exciting to see Messi continue to break records.

"Every time he breaks a new record or sets something else, it's a joy to watch, and it makes me happier," Picault said.

Other former teammates see that same fire.

"It's something special to watch. You know how the kids are always talking about aura, this aura that? He has full-on aura when you watch him, especially when he's in an Argentina uniform. He's just a different type of player, a special type of player, that he can change the game at any moment possible. So it's a privilege to watch him live and just to see what sort of things he can do on the ball," said CJ dos Santos, who played with Messi at Miami from 2023-2024.

He will, no doubt, be a headache for England, too. Argentina against England is arguably the definitive World Cup fixture, littered with history and heated by constant controversy. From Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal to David Beckham getting sent off for a stamp on Diego Simeone, the magnitude of the fixture itself simply cannot be overstated.

Yet, ironically, England and Argentina haven't met in a competitive game since 2002. Messi has never played against England. Thomas Tuchel has admitted, though, that figuring out how to stop him - or, at least, slow him down - will be a nightmare.

"I was thinking about [how to guard Messi], if we do a proper old school man-mark. I'm not sure if we will follow through with this idea, but it crossed my mind. Everyone knows Messi, and everyone knows the spaces where he wants to show up. It's just like if you analyze the matches, you feel like he sees stuff just earlier than anyone else on the field. It's just like the ball drops to him, and he finds the gap," Tuchel said at a pre-match press conference.

Tuchel will hope, of course, that he finds an answer to the Messi question. The broad truth, though, is that every match could be Messi's last for Argentina. He took time to commit to this World Cup, and playing in another major tournament would require him to extend his international career into his 40s.

And for teammates past and present, this is a time to appreciate. After all, there might not be many more games in his future.

"You just want to be part of that legacy. A lot of guys can say they have played alongside Messi, but not everyone can say they won a trophy," Miller said.