Lionel Messi’s evening with friends at the height of Inter Miami’s pre-season: the glass of water and the phrase that made him smile

An untouched glass of water on the table and a special greeting from a fan on the street. The night out Lionel Messi in the middle of the preseason with the InterMiami They looked like the ones from Barcelona. That’s in addition to his wife Antonella Roccuzzothe Flea was surrounded Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and his inevitable companion Pepe Costa.

Upon returning from El Salvador, where he played for some time the friendly match against the local team which caused a stir among the fans, the world champion chose one of the typical Latin restaurants to relax after the first weeks of physical work, facing the start of his first full season with the team led by Gerardo Martino.

Messi was seen animated, with a constant smile on his face and also with a peculiarity: in the images that appeared on social networks, while the rest of the guests drank glasses of wine and some drinks, In front of the star there was only a glass of water.

One of the photos that became the most viral was shared by the Colombian actress and presenter Sofía Vergara, who was in the same place with several friends and wanted to immortalize the moment not only with Messi, but also with Suárez, Alba and Pepe Costa.

And among the videos, the one most commented on by the public was the one that showed Messi walking on the pavement, filmed by a fan who told him “The sample”. The Flea turned her head to the right with a surprised gesture and smiled knowingly as she continued on her way.

How’s around the world in 20 days?

The Inter Miami players had returned hours earlier from their excursion to El Salvador. There was the official meeting on a playing field with the same shirt for Messi and Suárez, just as they lived for many years in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

There were just 45 minutes of action for River Plate’s attacking duo and, apart from a few flashes, they did not live up to expectations. At the Cuscatlán stadium it ended 0-0 against El Salvador.

The last time had been worse. August 14, 2020, a date that will forever be remembered for the defeat suffered by the Catalan team when, in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Bayern Munich beat them 8 to 2.

In Las Garzas’ path there is still the heaviest part of the preseason, before the start of the MLS. This is why Inter Miami has a duel against Inter Miami scheduled on Monday FCDallas at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, the same one where River performed a few days ago. It will serve as a stopover for the longest part of the journey, which will take him to the Far East to play four more matches.

A week after the match against Argentine Alan Velasco’s FC Dallas, Messi’s team will board a private plane to fly to Saudi Arabia, where they will have a double date that promises stellar clashes.

At the start of the tour in Asia, on Monday 29 January, they will face Neymar Jr.’s Al Hilal, even if the Brazilian will not be able to play because he is recovering from a serious knee injury. His reunion with Messi is a mystery because the Brazilian was in his country until recently.

A few days later, on February 1st, there is a guaranteed top photo: Inter Miami will face Al Nassr and Leo will hug his all-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

After that clash in the land of sheikhs and petrodollars, Inter Miami will continue east to land in Hong Kong, China, where on February 4th a team made up of the league’s stars will face the local Hong Kong All-Stars. .

In the last phase of the marathon tour, Inter Miami will arrive in Japan to face Vissel Kobe in the capital Tokyo on Wednesday 7th. It won’t be a simple “friendly match”: the presence of Andrés Iniesta, a player who said goodbye to that club, is expected, and who will have the chance to meet up not only with Messi but also with his former teammates Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

From there, with all the jet lag in the world on their shoulders (literally) and several million dollars raised, David Beckham’s team will take the last plane that will transport them to the United States but this time crossing the skies of the Pacific Ocean.

In addition to the benefits it will obtain from playing each match, the American team’s strategy is to strengthen its presence in the Asian market, where Messi is a marketing phenomenon that both Barcelona and the Argentine national team have already been able to cultivate.

As if it were a reward for so many miles travelled, Messi will have a lot of fun on February 15, when he will have his last pre-season commitmentnothing less than against Newell’s and at its new home, DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where it plays home.

The clash against Leprosy will take place the week before Messi’s first official match, Wednesday 21 February against i Royal Salt Lake, the other team that will cross the borders of the United States to play a pair of duels in Portugal. The first step in a very busy agenda which until March includes commitments for the MLS but also for the Concacaf Champions League and two friendlies with the Argentina national team in China.