Here’s how ‘paperwork’ could lead to Lionel Messi’s delayed start at Inter Miami

The Argentine's debut and unveiling event could be delayed in Miami.

Here’s how ‘paperwork’ could lead to Lionel Messi’s delayed start at Inter Miami

Lionel Messi recently announced his next club to be Inter Miami (Credit: The Guardian)

Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson said on Friday that Lionel Messi and Gerardo Martino’s paperwork are still being processed. While Martino was already introduced as the manager of the club, he cannot start working for the club until all his visa application is cleared.

Lionel Messi, who has already announced that he’ll join the American club, needs to wait until all his paperwork has been finished. “With regard to Leo, the terms are agreed but we are working on the paperwork with Major League Soccer so those are going to take time to finish,” Henderson said.

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The club was targeting Messi’s unveiling event on July 16, but nothing has been guaranteed yet due to the pending process. The club is targeting his debut for the match against Cruz Azul on July 21. Many tickets for that match have sold for $10, 000 with people ready to give everything to get a glimpse of Messi in the Miami shirt.

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But it remains to be seen whether he actually is eligible to play that game. Inter Miami has also announced his former FC Barcelona teammate, Sergio Busquets. The player boosts Inter Miami’s midfield as they are in desperate need of it. The team is languishing at the bottom of the MLS table right now. They will need to script a huge comeback to qualify for their first-ever playoffs this season.

Related: Lionel Messi’s TV series Los Protectores: Where, When, and How to watch

Lionel Messi to have a Barcelona reunion in Miami

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Messi and Gerardo Martino at Barcelona (Credit: Goal.com)

Lionel Messi is all set to have an FC Barcelona reunion in Inter Miami as former coach Gerard Martino has joined the team as the successor to Phil Neville. The Argentine coached Messi during his one-year stint in FC Barcelona in the 2013-14 season where they finished third in the league. He later worked with the player again as the Argentina head coach from 2014 to 2016.

He resigned from the position after that infamous penalty miss by Lionel Messi in the Copa America final against Chile in 2016 which led to his short-lived international retirement. Now, the coach and the player are all set to work again in Miami for the third time. Hopefully, it brings them more success than it did the last two times.

Other than that, Lionel Messi will also be reunited with Sergio Busquets who left FC Barcelona and joined Inter Miami. The Spanish midfielder is a legend of the game and will be hoping to use his expertise on the American side.

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