Aug 17, 2023; Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA; Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF addresses the media at the DRV PNK Stadium Press Conference Room. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
SoccerBy Sam Neumann on

It hasn’t taken long for Lionel Messi to immerse himself in the United States. It also hadn’t taken long for the Argentinian national to comment about the state of the National Team.

Prior to Inter Miami CF’s Leagues Cup final matchup against Nashville SC on Saturday, Messi was asked by a reporter regarding his evaluation of the level of competition in the U.S. It didn’t take long for him to cite the growth of the U.S. Men’s National Team in his response.

Here is Messi’s response, as roughly translated to English by the account—USMNT Only:

“U.S. Soccer has really grown a lot in just the last year and the results recently clinched by the U.S. team really prove that they’ve become a major force in the World Cup, super competitive, matching their opponents blow for blow in every game.”

A lot of those who reacted to Messi’s comments showered praise on the legendary forward for highlighting the growth of the United States on the world stage.

Some argued that Messi doesn’t pay attention to the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Others used it as an opportunity to criticize Major League Soccer’s development at the youth level.

[SportsCenter, USMNT Only on Twitter]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann