Lionel Messi will speak to the media on Thursday (Image: GETTY)
Thursday afternoon will see Lionel Messi address the media for the first time officially since joining Inter Miami. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has led the team to their first cup final, and will now speak out about his time in the United States so far.
Miami face Nashville SC on Saturday in the final of the Leagues Cup, and it'll be a landmark day for the eventual winner.
Neither Miami nor Nashville have ever won a trophy in their short history as franchises, but that will change on August 19. It's been a rollercoaster season for Miami as they remain bottom of the Eastern Conference in MLS with just five wins in 22 games, sacking former head coach Phil Neville as a result.
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino was brought in and former Barcelona trio Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba were signed shortly after, and Miami has been a completely different team since. Now, Messi will break his silence as he's opened up to the world for questioning.
The press conference on Thursday will be hosted to preview the cup final against Nashville, but it's likely that no one will be interested in speaking about anything else other than Messi. The 36-year-old has fit in perfectly at Miami, delivering the type of performances that saw him stand out at Barcelona.
Messi is already the greatest player to ever play in MLS, and the interest that's grown within the league is priceless to their long-term plan of competing with the best. Miami has become one of the most followed sports teams in the United States following Messi's arrival, a major statement for an MLS team due to the popularity of the four major American leagues.
Due to so much happening since Messi first signed, it will be hard to pack everything into one press conference. Messi has scored nine goals in six games for Miami and is yet to be on the losing team as they've reached the final of the competition.
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Miami did find it tough against Cruz Azul until Messi scored a free kick off the bench, and needed penalties to beat FC Dallas two rounds later. However, they've dominated in every other game and are the favorites to win the Leagues Cup.
Messi lifting the Leagues Cup would be an iconic image for MLS just months into his ground-breaking move. But they face a tough test against a Nashville team who are full of confidence and on a similar run to Miami in the competition.
Nashville will also host the final at GEODIS Park, handing them a small advantage. But Messi has dominated in some of the most iconic stadiums in world football, so it won't worry him.
