Newly signed Inter Miami CF players Tadeo Allende, Gonzalo Lujan and Telasco Segovia have admitted that the opportunity to play alongside Lionel Messi played a crucial role in their decisions to join the MLS club.
Allende, arriving on loan from Celta Vigo through the end of the 2025 season, admitted that the possibility of playing with Messi was something he never anticipated before receiving an offer from Miami.
He said: “It influenced [my decision] a lot, it influenced a lot because also to learn from him and not only from him but from Sergio [Busquets], Jordi [Alba] and Luis [Suarez] who, as I said before, are highly competitive players who want to win everything and that requires us to live up to them.
“When the proposal came to me, I was never going to imagine that I could get to play and share the field with him because I saw everything and I saw him in videos and he’s my idol as the idol of so many, but being on the field with him is a different thing, not only on the field, in the locker room, seeing him up close is different.”
“It is not easy but we have to achieve it and that will make us improve because we have to follow in their footsteps.
Segovia added: “Well I would be playing with the best player in the world in my opinion. It was a great factor in my joining, but this is also a great club.”
Sights set on Tampa 👀 pic.twitter.com/lansI8KBfc
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) February 11, 2025
Luján had a similar reaction upon receiving a call from Inter Miami’s new coach, Javier Mascherano, before signing a two-year deal with the club.
“It was an incredible experience [to receive that phone call]. I didn’t doubt the decision for a second. Masche told me he was interested in me coming, and I was interested in coming,” Lujan said.
“It was super important [the factor of playing with Messi], there are many players who are very great, successful and winners. It is a team that is seen a lot because Leo is there, he is very important. You can learn a lot of them, so I’m super happy. They received me very well, I am happy.”
Messi remains a key figure for Inter Miami, both on and off the field. Since his arrival in the summer of 2023, the Argentine star has registered 22 goals and 19 assists in 28 MLS appearances.
His influence was instrumental in securing the team’s 2023 Leagues Cup title and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield victory.
These new additions mark some of Mascherano’s first signings since his appointment as head coach in November 2024. With the team set to compete in four major tournaments in 2025 – the MLS regular season, Leagues Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup – depth in the roster was a priority for the new manager.
Inter Miami will begin their campaign on February 18, travelling to face Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup first round.
Shortly after, the MLS season kicks off on February 22 with a home match against New York City FC at Chase Stadium.
