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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>All-time great moved to the States in 2023</li><li>Remains a talismanic presence at 36 years of age</li><li>Poses problems to any team that he faces</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

‘No one can do what he can do’ – Lionel Messi the most influential player in MLS as Inter Miami team-mates have ‘infinite trust’ in Argentine superstar

Major League Soccer

CF Montreal

Nashville SC

Vancouver Whitecaps

Inter Miami CF

Nashville found that out to their cost in a CONCACAF Champions Cup meeting with Inter Miami. Messi was <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/lionel-messi-injury-update-inter-miami-tata-martino-concacaf-champions-cup-victory-nashville-sc/bltcdf20ee9249c0798" target="_blank">forced out of a clash in Florida on Wednesday through injury</a>, but he <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/inter-miami-lionel-messi-goal-concacaf-chamoions-cup/blt4f7cc2c1e820817a" target="_blank">found the target in both legs of a last-16 encounter</a> and contributed significantly to a 5-3 aggregate success for the Herons.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Messi inspired Inter Miami to a 2-0 first-half lead at Chase Stadium in midweek, before leaving proceedings five minutes after the restart, and Smith concedes that containing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/inter-miami-overly-dependent-lionel-messi-magic-tata-martino-explains-replace-best-player-of-all-injury-scare/bltf3232c5bb348718e" target="_blank">remains an almost impossible task</a> for all of the domestic opponents that he comes up against in America.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Smith said of being on the receiving end of <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/how-lionel-messi-magic-inter-miami-help-mls-become-transfer-bridge-la-galaxy-david-beckham-new-era/blt0dfd56068e508fe0" target="_blank">more Messi magic</a> and his importance to the Inter Miami cause: “He's such a huge influence on the rest of the group. Yes, they have other very good players. But there is no one that can do what he can do. There is an infinite amount of trust in his decisions, his techniques, his ability. As soon as he gets on the ball everyone else goes into gear. And that's a real problem. That's a problem for individuals playing against him, it's a problem for the midfield players and defenders, because they're now seeing runners that they wouldn't normally see. Maybe one or two players that have got that sort of confidence from the rest of their team-mates around the league. Not many. And nobody at the level, of course, that this guy can produce.”

WHAT SMITH SAID ABOUT MESSI

It remains to be seen when Messi will be back in action for Inter Miami, as he is nursing a muscle complaint in his right leg. He <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/away-game-business-behind-lionel-messi-benching-questions-asked-inter-miami-selection-call-mls-home-date/bltf704a385f5ff6754" target="_blank">will not figure in a meeting with D.C. United</a> on Saturday, with international duty in the Argentina camp set to follow that fixture if the 36-year-old is deemed fit enough to link up with his country.

WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

‘No one can do what he can do’ – Lionel Messi the most influential player in MLS as Inter Miami team-mates have ‘infinite trust’ in Argentine superstar | Goal.com Ghana

Lionel Messi has been billed as the most influential player in MLS by Nashville coach Gary Smith, with there nobody else that “can do what he can do”.

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