Lionel Messi, Argentina teammates training at Inter Miami facility for Honduras game
The image is one Inter Miami fans have been dreaming about as rumors swirled the past few years: Lionel Messi working out at the team’s Fort Lauderdale training facility.
Messi is, in fact, there this week, but not as a member of Inter Miami. He is with the Argentina national team preparing for a friendly match against Honduras on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium. “La Albiceleste” have been practicing behind closed doors at the Florida Blue Inter Miami Training Facility since Monday.
About a hundred fans showed up in the parking lot Tuesday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Argentine stars, but security was tight, according to reports from Argentine media.
Messi, Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and Nicolas Tagliafico were among the first to arrive in town. Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United and Cristian Romero of Tottenham were stuck in England, their travel delayed by visa issues.
Messi, the 35-year-old seven-time World Player of the Year, has been in strong form for Paris Saint-Germain this season after a tough start following his move from Barcelona. He has six goals and eight assists in the first month of the season.
He will be making his fifth World Cup appearance and is captain of the team, which is ranked third in the world. Earlier this year, “La Albiceleste” won the Finalissima with a 3-0 win over reigning European champion Italy. Last year, Messi led Argentina to its 15th Copa América title by defeating five-time World Cup champion Brazil 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro.
Argentina national coach Lionel Scaloni, whose team is among the favorites to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this winter, will evaluate players during the Honduras match and at a Tuesday game against Jamaica at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Inter Miami center back Damion Lowe is captain of the Jamaican team.
Tickets for the Friday match at Hard Rock Stadium are available at Ticketmaster.com
Argentina, which won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, will face Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland in the group stage of this year’s tournament, which kicks off Nov. 20 in Qatar. Argentina beat Honduras 1-0 the last time they played, in 2016, and Inter Miami forward Gonzalo Higuain scored the lone goal.
Argentina roster, by position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Juan Musso (Atalanta), Gerónimo Rulli (Villareal)
DEFENDERS (7): Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Germán Pezzella (Betis), Facundo Medina (Lens), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nehuén Pérez (Udinese), Lucas M. Quarta (Fiorentina)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Marcos Acuña (Sevilla), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodríguez (Betis), Enzo Fernández (Benfica), Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alejandro Gómez (Sevilla), Giovani Lo Celso (Villareal), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton & Hove Albion)
FORWARDS (9): Paulo Dybala (Roma), Angel Correa (Atlético Madrid), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Nicolás González (Fiorentina), Joaquín Correa (Inter Milan), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Julián Alvarez (Manchester City).
