"I didn’t believe it until I greeted him” - Inter Miami star admits he thought Lionel Messi's arrival was a 'lie' 

Inter Miami striker Nicolas Stefanelli admitted that he initially did not believe Lionel Messi was joining the Herons last summer.

The 36-year-old World Cup winner decided to move to the MLS outfit following his two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), marking one of the biggest transfers to America.

Opening up about his emotions during the move, Stefanelli told Fox Sports (via Inter Miami News):

“When the news came out, we couldn’t believe it. We said it was a lie. We didn’t believe it, we said it wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t believe it until I greeted him."

He added:

“If I think about it, I still haven’t gotten my head around it to this day. I didn’t know whether to shake his hand, kiss or hug him. I wanted to do everything together. I gave him a kiss and we started talking.”

Following Messi's move, the pair have shared the pitch only once for the Herons. However, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has been extremely influential, bagging 11 goals and five assists in 14 matches across competitions.

Moreover, he helped Inter Miami win their first trophy in club history by scoring 10 goals and assisting one in just seven Leagues Cup appearances. Meanwhile, Argentine striker Stefanelli has completed 30 appearances for his current employers, bagging four goals across competitions.

Messi and Co. are out of competitive action and await the start of the 2024 MLS season, which is scheduled to begin in late February.

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Nicolas Stefanelli opens up about training with Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi (via Getty Images)

Nicolas Stefanelli opened up about training with Lionel Messi and the Argentina skipper's former Barcelona teammates. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba completed moves to Inter Miami in the summer following Messi's transfer.

Stefanelli lauded the trio for what they bring to the Herons' training sessions. However, he reserved special praise for Messi, calling him the best in the business and said (via GOAL):

“I see him in training and I drool. Then, when he makes a pass and his back is to the player, I ask myself: 'How does he see that pass? It just can't be.' That's why he is also the best player in history.”

Messi has scored a staggering 715 club career goals, with 672 of those coming in Barcelona colors. He's a three-time UEFA Champions League and 10-time La Liga winner with the Catalan side.