Messi warned about MLS by former Barcelona teammate

Stuart Telford

• 4 Jul 2023 15:39 BST
• 3 min read

Lionel Messi will join David Beckham's Inter Miami this summer, but he shouldn't take MLS lightly according to his former Barcelona teammate, Riqui Puig.

Messi was the most in-demand free agent in world football this summer after it became clear he wouldn't extend his stay at Paris Saint-Germain, with Barcelona also interested in bringing their club legend back to his spiritual home.

But Barca's financial constraints allied to Messi's desire to try a new project convinced him to join Inter, where he will play alongside another Blaugrana legend in Sergio Busquets next season.

READ: Laporta admits Barcelona still OWE Messi money

Puig was part of a Barca squad that included Messi and Busquets that won La Liga in 2019, before he moved to LA Galaxy on a free transfer last summer. After making the MLS All-Star team for 2023, he feels well qualified to describe what Messi might be in for.

Messi schedule…

"What I like the most is that there is a high level in this league because all the teams can beat anyone and it's a league where there's a lot of competition," the midfielder told AS.

"[But] the thing I dislike is the trips and the time changes. I think that for a player sometimes resting well is very difficult, that's one of the things that has been difficult for me to adapt to."

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Lionel Messi to OWN MLS franchise

Messi's trips to Argentina will be significantly easier from Miami than they were from Paris, however, and all 41 of his games in all competitions last season were starts, suggesting that even at 36, he will be able to cope the soccer in the western hemisphere for some time yet.

"I think it is a league with a great future," Puig added. "Now that Leo and Busquets have arrived, I think they can give a lot to this league and the league can give them a lot too."