Messi's son joins Inter Miami youth team
Thiago is one of 150 players who will be playing for Inter Miami's various youth teams this season, and one of 35 new players to join the club's academy program. Thiago will play under Diego Garcia - who has just been appointed as U12 coach by Inter Miami and is waiting to receive a work permit.
The U12 Inter Miami will compete in the Florida League Academy this season, while the older teams will compete in the MLS Next tournaments. In particular, U19 Inter Miami will compete in the United Premier Soccer League - an American football tournament established in Santa Ana, Southern California, with the participation of American, Canadian and Mexican clubs.
Thiago will turn 11 on November 2, and has never been with a club before joining Inter Miami's youth team. But the boy entered the football field after the Inter Miami first team with Messi crushed Atlanta United 4-0 in the group stage of the 2023 Leagues Cup on July 26.
Thiago is not the first famous former footballer to join Inter Miami. Romeo James Beckham, son of co-owner David Beckham, once occupied the spot on the first team list before landing at Brentford B in January 2023. Harvey - son of former head coach Phil Neville - still has a contract with Inter Miami, but is playing for Loudoun United in the USL Championship on loan.
Inter Miami launched its academy in September 2019. Academy director Victor Pastora expects Inter Miami young players to continue to thrive like the 2022-2023 season.
Inter Miami's academy was initially successful, when six players Noah Allen, Edison Azcona, Benjamin Cremaschi, Ian Fray, David Ruiz and Felipe Valencia were promoted to the first team and signed a "homegrown" contract. Five of them made their MLS debut and played throughout the 2023 season, helping the club win its first title in history, the Leagues Cup.
Messi, his wife Antonella Roccuzzo and three sons, 10-year-old Thiago, 7-year-old Mateo, 5-year-old Ciro moved to Miami when the Argentina star left PSG and joined Inter Miami on a free transfer on June 7.
The 36-year-old striker shone with 10 goals and three assists, helping Inter Miami win all eight Cup matches, win the Leagues Cup and reach the final of the US National Cup against Houston Dynamo on September 28. He continued to score to seal a 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls on his MLS debut.
Tomorrow morning, August 31, Hanoi time, Messi and his teammates will play the next match against Nashville. The owner of the seven Ballon d'Or will miss three Inter Miami matches in September, as he has to return to South America to play 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Argentina.
