Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammate moves closer to becoming MLS Cup champion after Inter Miami suffer shock exit

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi's former teammate at Barcelona, Martin Caceres is close to stealing the Argentine legend's thunder and becoming MLS champion. The 35-year-old Uruguayan defender is currently in the finals of the Western Conference with the LA Galaxy.

Caceres joined the Catalan side in 2008 from Villareal for a reported €16.5 million and played 1529 minutes across 23 games. He was part of the team that won the Copa del Rey, LaLiga, and UEFA Champions League that season. He played 774 minutes across 17 games with the legendary Argentine.

Caceres moved to the MLS in 2022, a year before Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain, and has made 42 appearances for LA Galaxy. The 35-year-old could win his first piece of silverware with the club if they beat the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference final.

However, Caceres might not be directly involved in the final because the Uruguayan has an Achilles tendon problem.

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“You enjoyed every day" - Inter Miami star Lionel Messi reminisces on time with Barcelona

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi reminisced about his time with Barcelona ahead of the club's 125th anniversary. The Argentine star spent the first 21 years of his career at the club.

Messi joined the Catalan club in 2000 and came through the club's famed La Masia academy to make 778 appearances, scoring 672 goals and providing 303 assists to be the club's greatest-ever player.

Speaking ahead of the club's clash with Las Palmas, the World Cup winner said (via Sporting News):

“You enjoyed every day, every training, every game. We had so much confidence that we were going to win. It’s an honor to be part of the club and to be a Barça fan. I miss the club a lot — the city, the people, and the affection,”

Lionel Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after the club's well-documented financial issues meant his contract could not be extended. He joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after leaving his boyhood club before moving to Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 also on a free transfer.