AmericaThiago, 10-year-old son of the legendary Lionel Messi, will join the Inter Miami U12 team for the 2023-2024 season.
Thiago is one of 150 players to play for various Inter Miami youth teams this season and one of 35 new players to join the club’s academic program. Thiago will play under Diego Garcia, who has just been appointed U12 coach at Inter Miami and is awaiting a work permit.
This season, the Inter Miami U12 team will play in the Florida Academy League, while older teams will compete in the MLS Next tournaments. In particular, Inter Miami U19 will take part in the United Premier League, an American football tournament held in Santa Ana, Southern California, with the participation of American, Canadian and Mexican clubs.
Thiago walks beside his father during Inter Miami’s Messi opening ceremony on July 17. Image: AFP
Thiago will turn 11 on November 2 and has never played for the club before joining the Inter Miami youth team. But the boy entered the football field after Inter Miami’s first team with Messi defeated Atlanta United 4-0 in the 2023 League Cup group stage on July 26.
Thiago is not the first famous former footballer to move to Inter Miami. Romeo James Beckham, son of co-owner David Beckham, once held a spot on the first team roster before landing at Brentford B in January 2023. Harvey – the son of former head coach Phil Neville – is still under contract with Inter Miami but plays for Loudoun United in the USL Championship on loan.
Inter Miami launched its academy in September 2019. Academy director Victor Pastora expects Inter Miami’s young players to continue to thrive, as they did in the 2022-23 season.
Inter Miami’s academy found success initially when six players Noah Allen, Edison Ascona, Benjamin Kremaschi, Jan Frey, David Ruiz and Felipe Valencia were promoted to the first team and signed a “homegrown” contract. Five of them made their MLS debuts and played throughout the 2023 season, helping the club win their first ever title, the League Cup.
Messi, his wife Antonella Roccuzzo and three sons Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5, moved to Miami when the Argentine star left PSG for Inter Miami on a free transfer on June 7. .
The 36-year-old forward shone with 10 goals and three assists to help Inter Miami win all eight Cup games, win the League Cup and reach the US National Cup final against Houston Dynamo on September 28. He kept scoring and scored a 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls on his MLS debut.
Tomorrow morning, August 31 Hanoi time, Messi and his teammates will play their next match against Nashville. The seven-Ballon d’Or winner will miss three Inter Miami games in September as he has to return to South America to play in a 2026 World Cup qualifier for Argentina.
Hong Dui