“Magnificent” Lionel Messi bails out Inter Miami in season opener

A wide-open 2-2 draw with two galling breakdowns and recurring defensive jitters redeemed by two gorgeous Messi assists? Not a bad encapsulation of the IMCF experience.

“He’s the soul of this team,” said Mascherano of Messi, his friend and former teammate with Argentina and FC Barcelona. “You saw this in the pitch. He is as a kid playing, and he doesn’t want to lose. So for us, he’s a big, big advantage. So, we need to keep him with this spirit, you know, because it’s not just what he does on the pitch, it’s what he translates to his teammates, and all that he does.

“With his 37 years, he’s not just playing in attack, he helped us in defense, running the center back, running the holding midfielder. So it’s magnificent.”