Who is Benjamin Cremaschi? Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate he wants Argentina to steal

Stuart Telford

• 27 Aug 2023 13:32 BST
• 4 min read

Lionel Messi isn't the only talented Argentine at Inter Miami this season, with Florida-born Benjamin Cremaschi also impressing alongside the legend of the game.

Inter's fortunes have changed since Messi arrived on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in July, with their nine-game winning run since also taking the David Beckham-backed franchise to Nations Cup glory.

Messi has naturally been the catalyst for that success with 11 goals and three assists in his seven appearances so far, and Inter being bolstered by his former Barcelona colleagues Serio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Tata Martino hasn't hurt either.

READ: Lionel Messi at Inter Miami: Goals, assists, results & fixtures in 2023

But one player in particular already on the books has blossomed in the GOAT's glow in Cremaschi, the Argentine-American midfielder who has a goal and three assists to his name since Messi's arrival.

And now there is a two-way international tug-of-war on for the 18-year-old's services between Messi's Argentina and the USMNT…

What position does Cremaschi play in?

Cremaschi is primarily a box-to-box midfielder who was often used wide on the right by Martino's predecessor Phil Neville, but has taken up one of the central midfield positions either side of Busquets since Martino took charge.

READ: Messi, Alba and Busquets ‘creating problems’ for Inter Miami

How good is Cremaschi?

Cremaschi already looks to be blossoming into a complete midfielder. Last season he averaged 2.5 tackles per game and completed 82.8 per cent of his passes - putting him in the 97th percentile for both measures MLS-wide.

But he also has an eye for goal, as evidenced by his five in 17 for Inter Miami's reserves last season as well as his two in three caps for the USA's under-19 side.

What clubs are interested in Cremaschi?

A number of scouts from the USA and beyond have been spotted at the DRV PNK Stadium in recent weeks, but the chances of Cremaschi going anywhere right now when he has the chance to learn from perhaps the greatest player of all time appear to be slim.

"Sometimes I really sit down and think about the position that I'm in and it's incredible," he told CBS Sports Golazo recently. " I never believed it was going to be in the spot like I am today."

When does Cremaschi's contract expire?

Cremaschi is under contract with Inter until 31 December 2025, although the club have an option to extend his stay by another two years at that point.

How old is Cremaschi?

Born on 2 March 2005, Cremaschi is 18 at the time of writing.

He shares a birthdate with Chelsea's new Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino, as well as former Alibiceleste striker Lisandro Lopez.

What is Cremaschi's Intagram?

Cremaschi's Instagram can be found under the handle @benjacremaschi. He has 253k followers as of August 2023.