If you need any evidence to prove that things change quickly in this sport of ours, just look at Benjamin Cremaschi. There are few better examples of how unbelievably things can shift with a bunch of talent, a lot of hard work, a little bit of luck and, of course, the arrival of one GOAT.
Cremaschi, just 18 years old, entered this season as a potential star of the future. He'd carved out a path towards the first team with Inter Miami, establishing himself among the club's first wave of homegrown stars. And now, just a few months later, he finds himself playing next to his hero, Lionel Messi, as a key part of everything the Argentinian icon is doing to dazzle audiences in Florida.
Everyone involved with Inter Miami has seen their life change since Messi's arrival. Everything has gotten so much bigger and, more importantly, so much better. The club has been unstoppable since Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets arrived, elevating the level and profile of everyone around them.
That includes Cremaschi, who is no longer that potential future star. No, Cremaschi is making waves in the here and now, combining with his new superstar team-mates on multiple occasions throughout Miami's recent run.
The world is now taking notice of that fact, and not just on social media, where his follower count has skyrocketed thanks to all of these new pictures alongside Messi. These days, Cremaschi finds himself in the middle of a potential international tug-of-war, with Messi and Argentina on one side and the United States men's national team on the other.
The USMNT have made the first move, calling in Cremaschi for their upcoming friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman, but this battle, like the young midfielder's rise, is just getting started.
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