“It is better to be his teammate than his rival” - Ex-Barcelona defender set to face Lionel Messi during Sporting KC vs Inter Miami makes admission

Former Barcelona defender Andreu Fontas recently spoke about facing Lionel Messi in their upcoming clash in Major League Soccer.

Fontas came through Barca's famed La Masia academy and made 16 senior appearances for them before joining Celta Vigo in 2013. He spent five years at the Spanish club before joining MLS side Sporting Kansas City. He will face Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami in the league on Saturday, April 13.

Ahead of the game, he spoke about facing his former Barcelona teammate, saying (via Fox4KC.com):

“It is better for sure to be his teammate than his rival. Will be special to play against him again. We’ll try to do our best to not let him have his game because we know that he needs very few chances to punish you.”

Fontas shared the pitch eight times with the Argentine during their time together at Barca.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players overall and in Barcelona's history. He came through La Masia and registered a record 672 goals and a record 303 assists in 778 games for them, winning numerous trophies.

He left the club in 2021 and joined Paris Saint-Germain before moving to MLS side Inter Miami two years later.

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Gerardo Martino on why he didn't rest Lionel Messi against Monterrey

Inter Miami faced Monterrey FC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-final clash on April 10. They trailed 2-1 from the first leg but welcomed back Lionel Messi, who missed the first leg due to injury.

The Argentine, however, failed to make an impact as Monterrey beat Inter Miami 3-1 in the second leg. Brandon Vazquez (31'), German Berterame (58'), and Jesus Gallardo (64') put Monterrey 3-0 up before Jordi Alba was sent off in the 78th minute. Diego Gomez got a consolation goal for the Herons in the 85th minute.

With the game already gone, many expected Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino to sub off Lionel Messi and rest him. However, he didn't do so and explained the reason for it after the game, saying (via Goal):

“All the players we had on the bench were young players, we were not in a situation to use them, I did not want to throw them into adverse conditions, so I felt it was best to finish the game with the players who started.”

Messi has struggled with injuries this season, having already missed over 10 games for Inter Miami. He has scored six goals and provided three assists in seven games across competitions.