How Messi made his Inter Miami teammates better on and off the field

Lionel Messi transformed Inter Miami from a bottom-table team to one of the greatest in the history of Major League Soccer. Under his helm, the Herons lifted the 2023 inaugural Leagues Cup trophy, 2024 Supporters' Shield and set the new league record for most points recorded in a single MLS season with 74.

He revolutionized football in Fort Lauderdale in just over a year and a half as Inter Miami captain, and his teammates note Messi's contagious desire for greatness and ability to inspire constant improvement through example.

Though Messi will rarely be the one to lead loud halftime speeches or guide the team huddle on the field before the initial whistle, his subtle approach to leadership has made an immense impact among the younger generation at Inter Miami. On and off the field, from the final third or sidelines, the Argentine forward finds a way to elevate Inter Miami.

Goalkeeper Drake Callender revealed that this "Messi Effect" actually began on June 7, 2023, when the Argentina star first announced his intention to join the club in a televised interview with Mundo Deportivo. No one expected or prepared for the news, but the Miami players reacted before any paperwork had even been drafted.

"We were in Alabama, getting ready for our Open Cup game against Birmingham, and heard the announcement that he would officially join us," Callender said. "We were in our pregame meal, and after that moment, I said, 'Alright guys, we have to go and win because Messi can't join a team that's not competing. We want to be in good shape for when he joins.' That was a big transitional moment for us, organizationally, culturally, locker room-wise. Everything changed."

Inter Miami went on to beat Birmingham Legion FC 1-0 that afternoon to advance to the next round of the 2023 U.S. Open Cup, eventually reaching the final. Once he arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Messi's influence over his teammates naturally evolved. Behind closed doors at the Florida Blue training center, the Argentine striker intensified training sessions and raised the bar for all around him to perform at a higher level.

Messi turned a simple rondo at the start of practice into a vigorous exercise that left teammates with heightened senses and improved reflexes. A once routine introduction to everyday training used to warm up and loosen muscles evolved into a competition of the fittest under the new captain's watch. For Callender, training alongside Messi means facing the daunting challenge of blocking direct shots from the forward every week for the majority of the year.

Callender started his career in 2021 in South Florida with Inter Miami's affiliate team Fort Lauderdale CF. In just over two years, he went from facing USL opponents to honing his talent between the posts with the help of one of the greatest players in the world.

"When you have a player with very high quality like that around, I personally wouldn't be playing it the best I can without him," Callender said. "We're playing the best teams, but I've learned to stay grounded. When you train with a player with very high quality like that, how could I personally not be prepared the best I can?"

Beyond the tactical and technical benefits, Inter Miami goalkeeping coach Sebastian Saja revealed to ESPN that training alongside Messi has provided Callender with a mental advantage over opponents that correlates with his recent success on the pitch.

"There is no better training than that. No one is going to kick better than Messi in games, so if Drake can make two or three saves against Messi in training, that will fill him with confidence," Saja said to ESPN. "It allows him to think, well, the striker I face on Sunday is not going to score against me because I just saved Messi."

Since Messi joined Inter Miami on July 15, 2023, Callender has evolved into a game-saving figure. During the inaugural Leagues Cup final, just weeks after Messi arrived, the goalkeeper saved two penalty attempts in the shootout and scored the final attempt to clinch the team's first trophy.

Callender's actions on the pitch yielded call-ups to the U.S. men's national team and he was labeled "good for the group" by former head coach Gregg Berhalter.

A year later, he made another decisive save when stopping a penalty against the Columbus Crew on Oct. 2 to secure the 3-2 victory and win the 2024 Supporters' Shield. "His penalty save was crucial. I believe we have one of the best goalkeepers in the league," said head coach Gerardo Martino.

In 2024, Callender managed his best shot-stopping season by saving 3.6 goals more than expected, according to FBref, to rank in eighth place among all MLS goalkeepers. His efforts on the pitch and five clean sheets also propelled Inter Miami to clinch the MLS record for most points recorded in a single season.

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For midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, the lessons from Messi come in the form of conversations during training and before matches. The young midfielder kicked off his career with Inter Miami's academy in 2021, playing an important role in the under-17 team's win at the Generation Adidas Cup. Despite standing out on an academy level, Cremaschi only made his senior team debut in February 2023.

In the span of five months, Cremaschi went from being a substitute under former head coach Phil Neville to playing an integral role in the 2023 trophy-winning Leagues Cup run alongside Messi. The inexperienced player was suddenly called upon by Martino and given a crash course by the Argentine forward on how to succeed and maximize his potential.

"We talk about things he needs from me in games to connect, what he thinks I can improve on and learn," Cremaschi said. "He asks me for better positioning, waiting for the ball, staying more stationary, not always being in movement, but trying to create space to generate space for the 10. I try to absorb everything he tells me because I have to learn from him, he is the best."

Cremaschi went on to explain how the communication between the two players has evolved into hand gestures and signals during matches, which often inspire threatening opportunities in the final third. Since Messi's debut, Cremaschi has recorded five goals and seven assists, while improving his pass accuracy percentage from 85% in 2023 to 88.8% in 2024. His upward trajectory also earned Cremaschi a call-up to the U.S. men's national senior team and a spot on the 2024 USMNT Olympic roster, with the team reaching the quarterfinals in their first tournament appearance since 2008.

Though the tactical improvements vary from position to position, Martino insists Messi's influence is undeniable.

"They are learning day by day," Martino said to ESPN. "The younger players see, fundamentally, how he competes. They observe the way he competes in training. They copy him for being competitive, for always wanting to be at the highest level of play, for getting angry, for fighting, that when you have it on a day-to-day basis improvements come."

Inter Miami lifted their first piece of MLS silverware on Oct. 2 and broke the league's points record by three. By the end of September, the team nearly doubled last year's 34-point tally, recording 64 points in just 30 games with many of the same key supporting figures in the starting 11.

Players who had previously only seen time with Inter Miami's second team or academy and collegiate teams are now playing a pivotal role in a title race, with the guidance of the club captain.

Yannick Bright, who joined the team in December as 2024 MLS SuperDraft first-round selection, quickly maximized his rookie year by learning from Messi and adapting to the game under coach Martino. His offensive qualities in the midfield earned him a starting role in 12 out of a possible 15 regular season games since July 19, after averaging 3.13 tackles, 2.05 interceptions, 1.98 blocks and 2.30 clearances per 90 minutes, according to FBref.

The player's actions in the midfield ranked him in ninth place for most interruptions in the midfield among MLS players with at least 1,000 minutes this year, according to American Soccer Analysis.

"I want to also mention Yannick Bright, who, for me, was the best player of the night," Martino said after Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on July 20. "Yannick is a player who stole as many as 12 balls, I don't know the exact number, but that is something you don't see very often in this league. And he rarely commits fouls and typically directs the ball with smart decisions. That is a great attribute for a central midfielder and he understands the game well."

Inter Miami academy product Noah Allen, who debuted for the senior team on Feb. 26, 2022, served as a lifeline to Martino this season after the backline suffered several injuries throughout the campaign. Martino often called on Allen to serve, after impressing with his stability on the ball.

Against Toronto FC on Oct. 5, Allen mitigated the opponent's 15 shots while completing 93 passes, the most from any Inter Miami player on the field, with a 94.9% accuracy.

"Noah Allen was the best player on the pitch for us," Martino said after Miami's 1-0 victory over Toronto FC with Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets on the field.

Fans may be quick to credit Messi for Inter Miami's rise to the top this season after the forward tied for second place in the Golden Boot race with 20 goals and contributed 16 assists in just 19 games. But behind his eye-catching statistics stand several supporting players that have been able to sustain momentum while he's unavailable.

During Copa America, while the forward led Argentina to the trophy, Miami racked up 12 points out of a possible 15. Messi then went on to miss an additional two months after suffering a right ankle sprain during the final. But Inter Miami continued to handle his injury well by managing a 4-0-0 (W-L-D) record in MLS and 2-2-0 record in Leagues Cup.

Key contributors Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alba continued to support the team, but players in every area of the pitch stepped up to inspire success. David Ruiz, Cremaschi, Diego Gómez and Federico Redondo all contributed on the goal-scoring front to propel Inter Miami to a whopping 68 goals scored this season, while academy players Ian Fray and Allen braved the backline to secure several victories.

Cremaschi and Robert Taylor single-handedly led the 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC on July 3, while Gomez and Redondo each scored on July 17 to clinch the triumph over Toronto FC.

Taylor has consistently served for Inter Miami on the left-wing in 2024, recording five goals and four assists in 27 games. He contributed to several matches in the absence of Messi, providing Leonardo Campana and Suarez with support before completing his own attempts. Still, the player continues to cite Messi as the source of motivation for all at the club.

"We see him every day, we see him working hard to get back," Inter Miami forward Taylor said, about those times when Messi was unable to play. "Even without saying anything to him we saw him desperate to come. So when he's so motivated to get back into this team, it motivates us to make sure we are in the best position for when he returns."

Despite his absence on the pitch, Messi continued to enact his duties as Inter Miami captain and make his presence known to support the team. He continued to provide advice when needed, chatting with teammates during gym sessions or before a match at Chase Stadium and providing useful tips to apply to the opponent at hand.

Since joining Inter Miami on July 12, 2023, Messi has broken several MLS records, earned the club a trophy and elevated the Herons to become an international sensation. But his legacy at the team will live beyond the numbers and statistics, as his teammates go on to have successful careers propelled, in part, by Messi's teachings in Fort Lauderdale.