Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami last summer, transforming the Herons into the best team in MLS in just over a year.
Inter Miami fans have been in constant awe with Messi with the Argentine international settling well in Florida alongside Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, with the Chase Stadium side early favorites for MLS Cup.
With Andres Iniesta revealing how much Messi is enjoying life in Inter Miami, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is taking MLS and the Herons to new levels seemingly on a weekly basis, with the forward back to his best.
And former Inter Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin has shared a great story on how Messi became captain.
Yedlin said he urged Messi to take the captain’s armband
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Yedlin revealed that he had to urge Messi to take the captain’s armband on his Inter Miami debut, with the defender saying he was determined to give it to the Argentine, who originally declined.
With Messi now the official captain after Yedlin’s move to FC Cincinnati, the USA international made the right call in giving the 37-year-old the captaincy as early as possible, with the former FC Barcelona superstar taking the role seriously.
Yedlin said: “He started on the bench then came on around the 60th minute. At halftime, I asked the coach if he wanted me to give him the armband, and he said it was up to me. In my head, I thought: ‘There’s no way I’m on the field wearing the captain’s armband while Messi’s also on the field’.
“So for me, it was a no-brainer to give it to him. I went up to him and told him: ‘Hey, when you come on, I’m going to give you the armband,’ just so that he wasn’t surprised or anything. At first, he said: ‘No, no, no, you’re the captain, you wear it,’ and I said: ‘No, trust me, I’m going to give it to you.’ He agreed, and that was it.”
Inter Miami making Messi captain was a smart decision
Having worn the captain’s armband for Barcelona and Argentina, it only made sense for Inter Miami to award Messi the same status straight after the forward made the move to Florida last summer.
And the decision has proven to be a smart one, with Messi commanding a presence no player on the planet can achieve with the 37-year-old someone everyone in the Inter Miami squad will listen to.
Indeed, Messi’s status as Inter Miami captain will go a long way in the Florida franchise becoming the best team in MLS. and the decision to hand the veteran the armband was smart from Yedlin.