"It was the first game against Al Hilal" - Inter Miami star recalls what Lionel Messi said to him in English

Inter Miami midfielder Julian Gressel has claimed that club captain Lionel Messi has a good grasp of the English language, against common perception. The Argentine superstar has yet to give an interview in English since his arrival at the MLS side last summer, sparking talks of a language barrier.

Lionel Messi moved to the MLS from Europe in the 2023 summer after his contract with French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expired. The 36-year-old has been a hit since joining the side, helping them win their first-ever piece of silverware, the Leagues Cup, within a month of his arrival.

Inter Miami boss Gerardo Martino made Messi captain of the club upon his arrival, but his reported inability to converse in English has been an issue. Defender DeAndre Yedlin has been seen giving pre-match speeches to the squad.

Julian Gressel joined the side ahead of the 2024 season, and recently claimed on the PLAYER/MANAGER Podcast that the Argentine forward does speak English. The USMNT international revealed that Messi gave him tactical instruction in English for the first time during their pre-season tour.

“I think it was the first game against Al Hilal and he [Messi] came over to me and said something in English. That was the first time he spoke to me in English.

“Now, we change. You stay and Jordi runs. Jordi goes more in behind.’ I was like okay, sounds good. He goes, ‘English, pretty good no?’ I was like ‘yes, very, very good, I understood everything’.”

Gressel has enjoyed a good start to the season with the Herons, after winning the MLS Cup with Columbus Crew in 2023. The 30-year-old has two assists to his name in three appearances for the side this season.

Lionel Messi stars as Inter Miami thrash rivals

Lionel Messi was impressive for Inter Miami as they claimed a 5-0 win over rivals Orlando City in the Florida derby. The Argentine forward scored his 500th career league goal in 587 league appearances, joining Cristiano Ronaldo on the elite list.

Luis Suarez opened the scoring for Inter Miami with a fine finish off a Gressel cross before doubling his and his side's tally off another Gressel assist. The Uruguayan then turned provider for Robert Taylor, who made it three by the 30th minute.

Lionel Messi joined the party in the second half, first bundling home from close range in the 57th minute. He then rounded off the scoring with a fine header following an inch-perfect cross from Suarez.