MLS' answer to Barcelona: Lionel Messi's reunion with Sergio Busquets & Gerardo 'Tata' Martino could transform Inter Miami

"Tata is a highly respected figure in our sport whose track record speaks for itself," Beckham said after confirmation of Martino's appointment. "We are confident that his achievements in the game and experience as a head coach will inspire our team and excite our fans and look forward to seeing the impact he will have on and off the field."

The 60-year-old has earned that billing after a 25-year career in management that has seen him take in spells at 10 different clubs and three different national teams, including his native Argentina. Martino became La Albiceleste boss after leaving Barcelona in 2014, and spent two years in charge.

He guided Argentina to back-to-back Copa America finals, but they lost both times against Chile. Martino resigned after the second defeat, while Messi famously announced his retirement from international football, only to perform a U-turn a few months later.

Martino failed to deliver silverware, but his overall record of 19 wins from 29 games was impressive, and it could be argued that Argentina would have done far better than a last-16 exit at the 2018 World Cup had he remained at the helm.

He certainly did enough to pique the interest of Atlanta United, who appointed him as their inaugural head coach after joining MLS in 2016. Martino went on to guide the club to MLS Cup glory before leaving his post for personal reasons - but football in the United States left its mark on him.

“I was part of an extraordinary project with Atlanta United that had a clear direction, a lot of communication and similar objectives that were established very quickly and executed," Martino said in a recent interview with The Athletic. "After coaching in MLS, I became attracted to it. I like the league."

The Mexico national team brought Martino on board in 2019, and he made an instant impact by delivering the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also guided El Tri to the CONCACAF Nations League final and another Gold Cup showpiece in 2021, but they were beaten by the United States on both occasions.

Martino's reign ended after Mexico's poor showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which saw them exit at the group stage for the first time in 28 years. But that didn't put off Inter Miami from pursuing him.

There is no doubt that Martino is a huge upgrade on Phil Neville, who was sacked after a disastrous run of results at the start of June, and only ever got the job due to his friendship with Beckham. Inter Miami now have a manager in place that knows what it takes to be successful at the highest level, not least because of his short but memorable experience at Barcelona.

After the late Tito Vilanova resigned amid his battle with throat cancer in July 2013, it came as a huge surprise to supporters across Spain when Barca turned to Martino. The former Newell's Old Boys boss had never previously worked in European football, and he was inheriting a star-studded squad led by Messi.

Martino's arrival also coincided with the signing of Neymar from Santos, and his reign started well enough as Barca won the Supercopa de Espana before going unbeaten through their first 16 matches across all competitions. But they were unable to keep up that momentum.

Atletico Madrid pipped Barca to the finishing post in La Liga, and also knocked them out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals. The Blaugrana suffered a painful Copa del Rey final defeat against arch-rivals Real Madrid, too.

Martino resigned immediately after Barca's 1-1 draw against Atletico at Camp Nou on the final day of the season, and issued a heartfelt apology. "I am sorry that we did not achieve the objectives that this club had been achieving year after year," he said. "I would like to thank absolutely everyone. I want to thank the players. I would rather not talk about their qualities as footballers but as people; this club has great people here."

The Barca dressing room never turned against Martino. Xavi leapt to his defence after a 3-1 loss at Real Sociedad in the second half of the season, telling reporters: "We’ve never doubted Martino, ever. He’s a winner and if he has surprised us it’s been for the best."

Questions were constantly asked about Martino's relationship with Messi, especially after he substituted the diminutive magician in the reverse La Liga fixture against La Real when Barca went 4-1 up. But Messi's standards never slipped during his tenure.

The Argentina international recorded 41 goals and 14 assists in 46 appearances for Barca that season, and the squad was still in great shape by the time Martino left. After adding Luis Suarez to their ranks in the summer of 2014, it wasn't too much of a surprise when the Blaugrana went on to win the treble in their first campaign under Martino's successor, Luis Enrique.

Still, Martino acknowledged that he could have done better. “I made some monumental mistakes with Barcelona,” he said in an interview with Clarin shortly after leaving the club. “I’ll tell you in another life.”

However, he did also add: "All I learned in Barcelona was about being surrounded by stars, by the best in the world." Martino now has the same opportunity again at Inter Miami, and he will surely hope to exorcise the demons from his ill-fated stint at Camp Nou once and for all.

"On the pitch always with 5, but in reality as a player and as a person you are a 10, Busi. I wish you the best in your new stage and always, both you and your family. Thank you for on and off the pitch, there were so many moments we spent together, many good and some also complicated… They will stay forever!"

Messi clearly had no idea he'd be playing with Busquets again in the U.S. when he penned an emotional message to his former team-mate after his departure from Barcelona. But his appreciation for the Spaniard has always been clear.

And Busquets has always been one of Messi's most vocal supporters. "Messi is the best player in history," he told Barca's official website in December 2014. "I wasn't around 50 or 100 years ago, but I think he's the best because of the things he does and the records he's breaking almost every day. It's impossible to find anyone else with a talent like his."

And there were few players or staff members hit harder by Messi's surprise departure from Barcelona some seven years later than Busquets. He said to Spanish radio station RAC 1 in March: "Of course I miss him. On the field and off it. Nobody else has given us what he gave us. He made a huge difference."

Messi and Busquets played 567 games together at Barca, winning 30 trophies, including three Champions Leagues and eight Liga titles. Busquets started in the club's famed La Masia academy a few years after Messi, but he instantly realised what the midfielder could bring to the team.

"I remember what Messi told me," former Barca manager Pep Guardiola told Universo Valdano in 2018. "After two or three days of training with him, he came to me and said, 'I like this one'. And I said, 'When there is trouble, he will be there'."

Busquets was never the chief provider for Messi, but he did the dirty work in the middle of the park that gave Barca's main man the freedom to wreak havoc in the final third. At the peak of his powers, Busquets was the best defensive midfielder in the business.

Inter Miami have brought him to serve as Messi's facilitator once again. And if they can even come close to recapturing the magic of their prime years together at Barca, MLS supporters will be in for a real treat.

“Players of that class transform leagues,” Martino said when talking up Messi's abilities to The Athletic in April. “In MLS, a league that continues to take steps forward, and one that seeks a level of excellence any time it makes changes, to welcome the best player in the world would be incredibly impactful.”

Inter Miami's managing owner Jorge Mas went a step further after the agreement with Messi was struck. “I think there will always be a before and after Messi when we talk about the sport in the United States," he said. "I have a very, very strong-held belief that we can create in North America and the United States if not the greatest league, one of the top two leagues in the world. I cannot overemphasise the magnitude of this announcement."

Messi became the most decorated player in history after picking up a second Ligue 1 winners' medal at PSG, just a few months after inspiring Argentina to glory at the World Cup. The 36-year-old is also a shoo-in for a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or when the awards ceremony rolls around in October.

PSG never really saw the best of Messi, who struggled to settle in the French capital, but he still showed his class in regular bursts. And it was simply a joy to watch him roll back the years in Qatar and "complete football" by finally capturing the one title that had been missing from his CV.

Messi has proven that he is not finished yet. The Barca legend may be turning his back on European football, but he is motivated by the prospect of a new challenge in MLS.

"After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day-to-day more," he told Mundo Deportivo when explaining his decision to join Inter Miami. "If it had been a matter of money, I’d have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere."

The commercial benefits of signing Messi have already been huge for the club, who have seen social media numbers and ticket prices increase tenfold. Inter Miami are now the most followed team in U.S. sport ever, factoring in those from NFL, MLB, NHL, and other teams from MLS.

But there is also a genuine belief that Messi can drag Inter Miami out of their current position with his performances on the pitch. He's not yet a superstar in decline, and if Martino plays the right system, he will cause all sorts of problems for defences across MLS in the second half of the season and beyond.

Martino certainly never shied away from making Messi the focal point in his line up for both Barcelona and Argentina. He favoured a 4-3-3 formation during his time at Camp Nou, with Messi often dropping into a false nine role.

Messi played on the right wing in the same set-up under Martino for Argentina, who did not have the same level of gifted attacking midfielders at Barcelona to offer supporting runs. It is likely that the outgoing PSG star will operate in a similar role for Inter Miami.

Martino explained his style of play to Barca's website in 2013, saying: “I go for possession, attacking, putting a lot of men in the opposing half, taking risks." He demands urgency on the ball, to ensure that his teams create as many chances as possible.

When out of possession, Messi will be allowed to conserve his energy while the rest of his team-mates press. They will then look to the Argentina icon to explode when they win the ball back and provide the spark that leads to goals.

Messi will almost certainly drop deeper when Inter Miami have the ball, and opposing teams will be cut open at will if they start with a high line which leaves space for him to play his trademark incisive passes in behind. Former Wolves striker Leonardo Campana could be the main beneficiary, as the Ecuadorian forward has been starved of quality service so far this season.

Martino has historically placed a lot of importance on his full-backs, who will be expected to push forward when Inter Miami establish an overload and provide crosses. Busquets, meanwhile, will be key to their build-up play.

The former Spain international would always withdraw from midfield into defence to start passages of play for Barcelona, and it will be no different at Inter Miami. Busquets is a master when it comes to getting players to overcommit and breaking the lines with his simple yet effective passing range.

Inter Miami don't boast the same strength in depth that Martino had at his previous teams, but it makes sense for him to stick with the system that has served him so well throughout his career.

Martino is well aware of Inter Miami's shortcomings, but he is confident that the addition of Messi and Busquets will change the course of their season. "Right now, this is a team that shows an adverse picture in the standings," the manager said after his appointment was confirmed. "It is also decimated by injuries and by the players called up to their national teams. But there are great expectations around the new players that are going to come soon. They are really important. I hope that they can help us to make the team better from an emotional and playing point of view so we can have a season-ending more in line with what is expected of this club."

Mas, meanwhile, has also insisted that more new faces will arrive before the summer window closes. “We’ve been preparing our roster for Messi’s arrival in [2023], so we left an enormous amount of flexibility," the Inter Miami chief recently told reporters. "We will be making additional signings during the summer window, more than what people anticipate. We do not have to dismantle our team. We do not have to clean house, but I can say we will potentially be making between three and five signings.”

It has been reported that Jordi Alba could soon follow Messi and Busquets to Miami, with the 34-year-old having also left Barcelona at the end of the 2022-23 season. The terms of a deal for Alba have reportedly already been agreed, but he is also attracting interest from Inter, Atletico Madrid and clubs in Saudi Arabia, and it's not yet clear where he will decide to play.

Inter Miami have also been linked with Suarez and Angel di Maria, which again shows how great their ambitions are, even if the latter has since agreed to join Benfica. They're still one of the youngest MLS franchises, but they're doing everything possible to start competing with the very best teams in the competition.

Martino inherits a squad already sitting 11 points outside the playoff spots, and Inter Miami still have four more MLS games to play before Messi is due to make his debut in a Leagues Cup clash against Cruz Azul. It seems highly improbable, then, for the club to go on and compete for the MLS Cup this term.

But it's safe to say they will start improving quickly with Messi, Busquets and Martino now in the fold. A new era is beginning at Inter Miami - and it promises to be a rollercoaster ride.