Inter Miami name stand after Lionel Messi

MIAMI: Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami has named a stand after Argentina great Lionel Messi, who helped them win the MLS Cup in 2025.

The 38-year-old joined Miami in July 2023 after a trophy-laden career in Europe with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and helped the Herons to win the Leagues Cup, a tournament for MLS and Mexican League clubs, that year, and he also succeeded in winning the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield with a league-best 74 points in the regular season.

According to international media reports, Messi has gone on to achieve the status of record goalscorer with 82 and record assist provider with 53 for Inter Miami, who have decided to take an unusual step to honour an active player at their 26,700 capacity stadium.

Inter Miami said: "Traditionally, tributes look to the past. They are built from nostalgia. From memory. This one is different. This one is born from the present. "From what is happening right now. From what you feel every time Leo steps on to the pitch.

"Recognising someone is not always about closing a chapter. Sometimes it is about realising you are witnessing something unique."

This is not the first stand after Messi’s name; Newell's Old Boys, where he played as a child, has also had a stand in their stadium after Lionel Messi’s name.

Messi has also won the MLS MVP award last season, which was his second consecutive. After that award, he became the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back MVP awards.