Luis Suarez trained with Lionel Messi and his new Inter Miami teammates for the first time since joining the MLS club.
The Barcelona and Uruguay legend, 36, joined Inter Miami after a stint in Brazil with Gremio, where he scored 17 times and registered 11 assists in 33 games in 2023, showing he's still got it.
Suarez's move to the Sunshine State-based MLS franchise reunited him with three former Barca teammates: Ex-partner in crime Messi, midfielder Sergio Busquets, and full-back Jordi Alba.
The attacking acquisition will be a significant boost for Inter Miami, who narrowly missed out on the MLS postseason in 2023. Messi, Busquets, and Alba's arrivals helped the franchise win the Leagues Cup and reach the Final of the US Open Cup - but it wasn't enough to drag the team high enough up the Eastern Conference table to keep their season going.
Expectations remain, high, though. "Why wouldn't we dream of winning all four titles this year?" Suarez told reporters. Mirror Football looks at four things noticed from Suarez's first Inter Miami training session.
Mirror Football's Premier League team of 2022 as champions dominate
The band's back together
Suarez didn't drift too far from the familiar faces during his first training session. The striker, who has 539 professional goals for club and country, was all smiles as he and his pals sat on a bench.
"Playing with Messi, Busquets, and Alba again? I did not imagine that because I initially thought that Leo would end his career in Barcelona, a club to which he is grateful, in which he achieved everything he wanted, as well as Sergio, and of course Jordi. But football is like this, it changes quickly," Suarez told reporters.
Suarez joins Inter Miami before the 2024 season (Getty Images)
Suarez has over 500 professional goals for club and country (Anadolu via Getty Images)
Messi and Suarez would 2/3 of the famous MSN at Barcelona (Getty Images)Messi leads the introductions
Messi has taken up the captaincy at Inter Miami well and made sure to personally greet all of his teammates ahead of newbie Suarez. The World Cup winner has settled into life in Miami well and his family appears to be enjoying their time. The legendary attacker will be pivotal in Suarez and his family getting to grips with the US, as well as putting balls in the right area for the striker on the football pitch.
Inter Miami are hoping the ex-Barca foursome can lead them to MLS glory (Getty Images)
Suarez and Messi won a Champions League together at Barca (Anadolu via Getty Images)
Tiki Taka
It didn't take long for Suarez, Messi, Busquets, and Alba to rekindle the connection. The foursome, as well as Benja Cremaschi, knocked the ball around effortlessly in a passing drill. "We finished with 20 minutes of football. It was obvious, in those 20 minutes, that the four of them (Messi, Busquets, Jordi Alba & Suarez) have not forgotten how to play together. 20 minutes of beautiful football," manager Tata Martino said.
Club & Country
Suarez spent a lot of time away from the Uruguay national team, missing games between March 2023 and Oct. 2023. He returned in the win over Bolivia in November and as it happens, the 2024 Copa America will be held in the United States and the Final will be at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Suarez could be climatizing himself to the surroundings.
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