After their triumph over Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday, the Inter Miami players expressed their gratitude for their guiding light Lionel Messi.

Miami had a miserable 2023 season, but after Messi arrived last month, everything changed. The 36-year-old decided to emigrate to the United States after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the conclusion of the 2022–2023 season, joining David Beckham in South Florida.

After winning the cup final on Sunday in Nashville, the World Cup winner has already won further hardware despite having only played seven games.

Just before the half-hour mark, Messi scored GEODIS Park’s first goal with a beautiful 20-yard curler.

The Argentine had the advantage at the half, but Nashville’s Fafa Picault tied the score after the break to restore Argentina’s advantage. After 90 minutes, the two sides went to penalties to determine who would win the Leagues Cup. Following an Elliot Panicco miss, Messi and Miami won 10-9 on penalties.

The former Barcelona star’s victory marked the end of an impressive first year in the United States. Messi has scored 10 goals in just seven games and now also has a Leagues Cup winning medal to show for it. Many in the Miami setup would not have given the idea of winning trophies much thought, having only won one of ten games.

However, Messi has transformed the team in just a few short weeks, and after the final buzzer in Nashville, his teammates expressed their gratitude. The Miami team encircled the Argentine before joyfully lifting him up and tossing him into the air.

The seven-time Ballon D’or winner was praised by both his teammates and his opponents. This comes after Gary Smith, the head coach of Nashville, praised Messi for being “unplayable.” “This is the first live performance I’ve witnessed by [Messi]. And I believe the lesson I would get from that is that there are times when he is simply unplayable,” Smith added.

It doesn’t last for a long time. It doesn’t last 90 minutes. Windows exist where he first comes to life.