The Daily Heron: Lionel Messi Presser and Phil Neville Admission

Lately, it seems there is hardly a lack of news surrounding Inter Miami.

So, we at Inter Heron, decided to launch The Daily Heron — albeit we may miss a day or so.

This has all the headlines fit to print (and some that really aren’t).

Let’s dive right in.

Lionel Messi Meets the Media

I mean, it isn’t like we haven’t heard from him or seen him since he officially signed with Inter Miami, but made his first official appearance to the media today in Ft. Lauderdale.

He mentioned that he was glad to be in Miami and very happy to join the Herons after leaving Paris-St. Germain (more on this in a bit).

Messi also mentioned he was impressed with the reception he’s received in South Florida.

And, he also gave some insight into where those Marvel-related goal celebrations came from:

It was good to see Messi in front of the media with the understanding that it’s likely not going to happen very much… and that is totally ok by us.

A Pot-Shot At PSG

Something else of interest from Messi’s press conference was his admission about his time with Paris-St. Germain.

He said his time in Miami has been the polar opposite of the time he spent in the French capital after leaving Barcelona.

"As I said at the time, my departure to Paris was not something I wanted, it was not something I wanted to leave Barcelona and, so to speak, it was from one day to the next."

- Lionel Messi, Inter Miami forward

I think we can all agree that Messi seems to be a much happier person and player in South Florida than he ever was in France.

So, take that Paris.

Strong Admission from Phil Neville About Inter Miami

Messi wasn’t the only one talking to the press.

Former Inter Miami manager Phil Neville spoke on Taylor Twellman’s Offside podcast and admitted he was going to be out if the team brought Messi to the squad.

"I always had a feeling deep down I wasn’t going to be here (in Miami) when he (Messi) was going to come to the club. And I say that not lacking confidence in myself but this was different, this was not signing Gonzalo Higuain or Blaise Matuidi."

- Phil Neville former Inter Miami boss

He mentioned in friend, and boss, David Beckham was honest with him upon his termination and that he doesn’t regret his time in South Florida.

Well, I for one, believe that if Inter Miami didn’t sign Messi, Neville was going to be out anyway just because of how the team was performing before Messi’s arrival.

The Inter Rumor Mill Keeps Chugging Along

Inter Miami has been linked to just about every former player from Barcelona’s heyday of the mid-2010s.

Well, we can add one more to the list.

In a recent interview, striker Antoine Griezmann suggested that, if called upon, he would join Inter Miami in the near future.

The Atletico Madrid star is 32 and has a few years left in his career, but suggested that he would be open to a move to the United States, especially following the quick success of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami.

Griezmann has already won a World Cup, Spanish Cup and La Liga title in his career. In fact, the only title that’s eluded him is a Champions League crown.

Let’s not get too excited about this because I think Griezmann wants hardware at Madrid before even thinking about a transfer to the U.S.

Shanyder Borgelin Loaned to New Mexico for 2023

Earlier this week, Inter Miami announced it had loaned out one of its players to USL side New Mexico United:

Shanyder Borgelin was signed as a homegrown player to the senior roster this season and made his debut for Inter Miami against CF Montreal in February.

He made 10 appearances since then and scored a goal in the U.S. Open Cup competition.

ICYMI: Inter Miami to Copa Libertadores a Possibility

As we mentioned earlier today, rumors suggest Inter Miami has been invited to take part in the 2024 Copa Libertadores competition.

This is the most prestigious club competition in South America and features the top teams from various leagues around the continent.

However, even if it were true, there are a lot of challenges for any Major League Soccer side who chose to compete in the year-long tournament (as we mentioned in the piece).

Is it interesting? Yes. Is it possible? Also, yes. Is it realistic? Anything is possible.