Mini Messi vs Lionel Messi! Ryan Gauld excited to face real thing in Vancouver Whitecaps’ MLS clash with Inter Miami as Scottish star reacts to talk of Canada call-up

The Messi travelling circus, which has set up camp in Florida, will be passing through Canada on a couple of occasions this season. Inter Miami are due in Montreal on May 11, before heading to Vancouver on the 26th of that month. That trip will – fitness permitting - see Gauld line up against an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

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The former Dundee United star, who was likened to Messi after moving to Sporting as a teenager, has told BBC Sport of facing the real thing – with Inter Miami also having the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on their books: “They obviously get a lot more attention but that allows us to work in the background and do our bit without too much attention on us. It's going to be really good to play against them this year. You can only really say positive stuff about the fact he [Messi] came to MLS and helped to raise the standard of the league.”

Gauld has been in MLS since joining the Whitecaps in 2021. He is now club captain and recently committed to a new contract. There has been talk of the former Scotland U21 international earning Canadian citizenship and switching allegiance, but he is happy to have domestic stability for now. He added on the immediate future: “I'm excited to know that I'm going to be in one place for the next four years. Since leaving United I've kind of been jumping around year after year after year not knowing where I'm going to be living. So I'm happy just to have the continuity ahead of me of being in Vancouver and being in familiar surroundings. That's what I'm focusing on for the next few years and then you never know what's happening in the future.”

The Whitecaps are unbeaten through two MLS fixtures this season, picking up four points, and know that they will need to be at their best when Messi and Co roll into town – with Inter Miami being tipped to compete for major honours on multiple fronts in 2024.