In addition to Lionel Messi, Inter Miami currently employs Messi’s former Barcelona coach, Messi’s former Barcelona central midfielder and Messi’s former Barcelona left back.
It appears they just added Messi’s former Barcelona striker as well.
Inter Miami has reached an agreement to sign Luis Suárez, currently playing for Brazilian club Grêmio, to a one-year deal with a second-year option, according to ESPN.
Messi and Suárez, both 36 years old, played together at Barcelona from 2014 to 2016, winning La Liga four times, the Copa del Rey four times and the Champions League once. Inter Miami’s Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were also part of the team for that entire span of time, while coach Gerardo Martino oversaw the quartet from 2013 to 2014.
The Barcelona-fication of Miami has pretty much been the plan since Messi made the decision to head to the United States, with Suárez’s interest in joining him being rumored for months.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are reuniting at Inter Miami. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images) (JUAN MABROMATA via Getty Images)
Since leaving Barcelona in 2020 (a messy divorce that saw Messi publicly take Suarez’s side), Suárez has played for Atlético Madrid, his original club at Nacional and Grêmio. He posted 10 goals and 10 assists, both team highs, in 26 appearances for Grêmio this season.
The Inter Miami hype train has slowed down a bit since Messi’s arrival, but it remains the most-followed team MLS has had in years. After the wild run to the Leagues Cup title to open his Miami career, which saw him face a high workload, Messi appeared only twice in a six-game winless streak with a hazy injury situation to close the MLS regular season. Of course, he also accepted the Ballon d’Or in that time thanks to his magical World Cup breakthrough.
