Inter Miami CF is the worst team in the Eastern Conference, but Lionel Messi could help his new team make a run at the playoffs.
Team owner Jorge Mas confirmed to reporters Monday that Messi will make his Inter Miami debut July 21 in a Leagues Cup match against Liga MX side Cruz Azul, per ESPN's Adriana Garcia.
Mas assured Major League Soccer's salary cap rules would not be altered for Messi's signing. The 35-year-old announced his intention to sign with Inter Miami earlier this month, and his deal could come with huge paydays from Adidas and Apple TV+, per Sports Business Journal.
Accommodations will be made for Messi's home debut at DRV PNK Stadium, such as increased capacity and security, but the big question is the soccer icon's on-field impact.
Inter Miami fired manager Phil Neville on June 2. Former Argentina and Barcelona manager Tata Martino is expected to be hired as manager, and former Messi teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are expected to join, too, per CBS Sports.
Martino won MLS Cup with Atlanta United in 2018, so he not only is familiar with coaching Messi but also understands what it takes to win in MLS. While Messi is entering the twilight of his career, he still is one of the most skilled players in the world, as seen in a June 15 international friendly against Australia.
Inter Miami has 15 points in the standings, as of Wednesday, but MLS this year added an extra playoff team, so the top nine teams in each conference make the postseason with the bottom two teams playing a wild-card game to enter the quarterfinals.
CF Montréal and D.C. United are the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference with 22 and 23 points, respectively.
Inter Miami will have 12 games left in the regular season after Leagues Cup action. It's possible it can go on a winning streak to sneak into the postseason if the team can find chemistry and better form quickly enough.
That's what odds movement seemed to indicate when Inter Miami's odds to win MLS Cup went from 65-1 to 22-1 at DraftKings, per Covers. The best number you can get is 23-1 at FanDuel. BetMGM offers 12-1 odds for Inter Miami to win the Eastern Conference.
Obviously, the better number could have been grabbed before Messi's announcement.
But the numbers are intriguing enough as things stand prior to Messi's Inter Miami debut, and if it does make a run at the postseason, this number only will get shorter. So it's best to grab it as soon as possible if you think Messi can add another trophy to his legendary career.
