The stands of the Cuscatlan Stadium in San Salvador were packed hours before Inter Miami’s first pre-season friendly of the year against the El Salvador national team on Friday night. Muddying the waters of sporting royalty even further than half-and-half scarves, some supporters were kitted out with half-and-half shirts.

Many inside the ground neglected the blue and white of their nation entirely, watching on from the stands after crowding around Miami’s team bus in the visitors’ pink home strip. There was a worldwide shortage of Messi’s official number ten shirt shortly after his Miami debut last year but replicas were available in San Salvador for as little as $5 (£4).

This reunion of footballing talent was considered significant enough for El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele to pose for a photo op alongside Messi, taking his motorcade to the team’s hotel ahead of kick off.

Here’s what the expectant crowd were treated to in a 0-0 draw.

Luis Suarez endures subdued debut

There wasn’t much to shout about regarding Luis Suarez’s Miami debut

Suarez and Messi not only enjoyed a telepathic understanding on the pitch but were best friends off the field as well. The pair were neighbours in Catalonia’s capital for six years, occasional babysitters for each other’s children and their wives went into business together.

However, the three-and-a-half years apart left an understandable coat of rust on the partnership. It was only at the start of December that Suarez revealed the “constant pain” he suffers through to continue playing professionally.

Starting up front with Messi in a 5-3-2, Suarez had precious few sights of goal in a disjointed outing. As one of only two players to hit double digits for goals and assists in the Brazilian top flight last season, the 36-year-old still has plenty to offer. He just didn’t show it in San Salvador.

With all the hype, there was unlikely to ever be any other outcome. Also, it’s worth bearing in mind that these are real veterans of the sport now, and it was the first match of pre-season: sharpness was always likely to be somewhat lacking. Indeed, both Messi and Suárez were withdrawn at half-time.

It’s only once the MLS campaign gets underway that things will start to get really interesting. Messi arrived too late to affect the play-off picture last season, but that will now be the minimum expectation for a team of such superstars. Even a shadow of the magic Suárez, Messi and co. produced at Barcelona should be enough to make that happen, but it’s a question of how much they still have left to give in a league which is tougher than many realize.

The last time all four of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba started alongside one another, they lost 8-2.

Inter Miami’s newly formed ‘Fab Four’ lined up together for Barcelona in August 2020, slumping to a thumping at the hands of Bayern Munich in the eerie setting of a one-legged Champions League quarter-final in an empty Estadio da Luz.