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The Daily Heron: No word on Messi’s status for Atlanta United

When the best soccer player in the world doesn’t play, it’s news. Is Lionel Messi injured? Tired? All we know for sure is that he’s headed back to South Florida.

ByKen Garner|
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi and Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes are teammates for Argentina’s national team, which defeated Bolivia 3-0 Tuesday.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi and Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes are teammates for Argentina’s national team, which defeated Bolivia 3-0 Tuesday. | Leonardo Fernandez/GettyImages
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Coach’s son signs homegrown deal

Inter Miami has signed homegrown midfielder Santiago Morales, 16, to a first-team contract through 2027 with an option for 2028, according to MLSsoccer.com. Morales, the son of Herons’ assistant coach Javier Morales, is the seventh Inter Miami academy player to join the first-team.

“Santi is a promising young midfielder who has been here since the start, growing within our development pathway,” Chris Henderson, Inter Miami’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, said in a release.

I worried when La Rosa Negra focused so much attention on signing Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets that it would neglect player development. So far, I’m quite relieved that Henderson and company seem to remain focused on player development.

Messi invests in $10.8-million Fort Lauderdale mansion

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain standout has shown he’s clearly at home on MLS pitches, but news that Lionel Messi has invested almost $10.8 million in a mansion only 15 minutes from Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium must be encouraging to area fans; Messi is home.

According to reports, the house has 10,500 square feet with 10 bedroom, nine bathrooms, 170 feet of waterfront, a pool and two docks. Just a cozy little homestead.

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