The surprise El Salvador players had with Lionel Messi in the locker room

Inter Miami are preparing for a 2024 season in which they will have three major tournaments. They will try to repeat their success in the Leagues Cup, the first title they won in history, but that will be the least important of their objectives. The priority will be Major League Soccer, where last year they didn't even make the Eastern Conference playoffs, and the CONCACAF Champions League, which awards a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup.

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But before all that, The Herons will have several friendly matches to help coach Gerardo Martino shape the team. Also, for the chiefs it will be an ideal opportunity to earn money, considering that everyone wants to see Lionel Messi and other stars like Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Last Friday they played the first of those friendlies. It was against the national team of El Salvador at the Cuscatlan Stadium. Nothing too interesting happened on the field, as there were few chances to score and the match ended 0-0. The most important thing was the injury of Facundo Farias, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and will need at least six months to recover.

But after the final whistle something interesting happened. Several Salvadoran players approached Inter Miami's locker room to meet Messi and take a picture with him. When they arrived, the Argentine forward was there, waiting for them to talk for a few minutes and sign autographs for them. Right-winger Fernando Sanchez then shared a message on Instagram: "I met my favorite person on Earth, thank you for so much joy Leo, the happiest day of my life." And he also chose his photo with Lionel for his social media profile.

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They will have a tight schedule

Inter Miami will play their next friendly match this Monday, when they will face Dallas FC at the Cotton Bowl. And a week later they will travel to Asia: first they will participate in the Riyadh Season Cup against Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, later they will face an all-star team from the Hong Kong league and finally they will fly to Japan for a match against Vissel Kobe. Finally they will return to Miami, where they will play their last friendly against Newell's Old Boys from Argentina.