Inter Miami owner comments on Lionel Messi's connection with club teammate off the pitch

Jorge Mas, the managing owner of MLS outfit Inter Miami, has commented on Lionel Messi's connection with Luis Suarez off the pitch. The Argentine and Uruguayan forwards previously played together with Catalan giants FC Barcelona, and are known to share a great relationship with each other.

Alongside Brazilian superstar Neymar, they formed a devastating attacking trio nicknamed 'MSN' due to their initials. With their combined 111 goals and 51 assists in 148 apperances, they powered Barca to two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles and the 2014-15 Champions League title.

Messi moved from French giants Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami on a free transfer in the summer of 2023. Suarez followed suit, joining on a free from Brazilian side Gremio at the start of 2024 and re-establishing his partnership with the Argentine maestro.

While Messi has already broken several MLS records in his one year at Inter Miami, Suarez has also hit the ground running in Florida. The Uruguayan sharpshooter has 14 goals and seven assists in 20 appearances, while the Argentine has 14 goals and 11 assists in 15 games across all competitions.

Aside from their lethal connection on the pitch, which Mas has claimed to be 'telepathic', they are friends outside of it as well. Speaking to Spanish media outlet El Pais, he said (via intermiami.news):

"They are friends, they connect, they generate a telepathy that they have on the field, but beyond that, they are friends, the families share and I think they are both in very good spirits and in very good shape here."

"It gets the whole group galvanized" - MLS legend says Inter Miami have performed well without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez

MLS legend Sacha Kljestan has claimed that Inter Miami have performed well even in the absence of their superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

The Herons have missed their two talismen up top due to the Copa America for the last two games, but earned the full six points to keep their MLS title hopes alive.

Kljestan, who played for Chivas USA, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC and LA Galaxy in the MLS, theorized why Tata Martino's side could be performing better now. Speaking on the MLS Wrap-Up, he said (via intermiami.news):

"When Messi and Suarez aren’t on the field and they have a guy like [Leonardo] Campana playing up front, who will press with more energy and who will fight for more balls, it gets the whole group galvanized and to press a little bit higher, and for the first 30 minutes [it] worked really well."

The Argentine and Uruguayan legends will definitely be out of action for their two upcoming fixtures against Nashville and Charlotte. Their dates of return will depend on La Albiceleste and Los Charruas' potential progress beyond the group stage at the 2024 Copa America.