WATCH: How Luis Suarez can get away with calling Lionel Messi an ‘idiot’ – with Uruguayan striker taking a slap to the head from Argentine icon during Inter Miami initiation

The South American duo have struck up a close bond down the years, having previously spent six trophy-laden seasons together at Barcelona. They have been reunited in 2024 at Inter Miami, with their partnership expected to push the Herons into contention for more major honours.

Both are now into their mid-30s, but their ability to conjure up moments of magic in the final third remains beyond question. Messi is already fully adjusted to life in the United States, having made his move in 2023, while Suarez is finding his feet after heading north from Brazilian side Gremio.

Messi and Suarez have figured in pre-season friendlies, as Inter Miami wait on a first goal of 2024, with the latter having gone through initiation routines on the training ground. One of those saw him forced to run through a tunnel of team-mates as they slapped him on the head. Messi was at the end of the line and held nothing back, leading Suarez to say: "Since when have you been throwing punches in the hallways, idiot?"

Said comment was made in jest, with Tata Martino seeing plenty of smiles on the training field, and rivals should expect the Messi-Suarez combination to burst into life at some point. That could happen during a historic tour of Asia. Inter Miami are readying themselves for meetings with Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr at the Riyadh Cup – with it yet to be determined whether Cristiano Ronaldo will figure against familiar rivals.