The arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami has sparked a revolution in Major League Soccer. Not only the fans go out of their way to see him in action, but his own colleagues are excited by the possibility of stepping on the same grass as the Argentine. The Brazilian Luquinhas, for example, did not waste the opportunity to ask the recent world champion for the shirt.
Despite the fact that the New York Red Bulls fell 2-0 against the South Florida team, the midfielder was able to go home happy for taking the garment used by the former Barcelona player. “It is a whirlwind of feelings because Messi is a reference for me in football. I had only seen Messi on television, it was a great emotion. Its quality is beyond words, it’s surreal,” he explained to ESPN.
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Luquinhas, Messi’s Brazilian rival in the MLS who admires the Argentine
Before the game in New Jersey, the 26-year-old midfielder was already excited: “It was a dream come true even the day before, when my image was on a big screen in Times Square next to his, announcing the game. It will be with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget”.
Messi explained in the past that, when changing shirts, he always prioritizes doing it with a compatriot. With no Argentine soccer players on the New York Red Bulls, Luquinhas took advantage of a break and asked Leo for his jersey as he prepared to take a free kick.
“I tried to talk to him at times during the game, but I don’t speak much Spanish. At least I was able to ask him for the shirt. I went up to him and asked him if he could give it to me. He told me he would give it to me at the end of the game. As soon as he finished, he handed it to me in the changing room tunnel,” he explained.
The curious thing is that the Brazilian had already given Jordi Alba his shirt after the final whistle on the pitch. In any case, Luquinhas took with him an indelible memory of that night and he already knows that it will occupy a privileged place in his home.
“I posted the photo on Instagram and a lot of people commented on it. During the week we joked in the team about who would take the shirt. They have given me a wonderful gift and I am going to frame it on the wall of my house. I have several well-known people I’ve played against: Rafinha, Alexandre Pato, Ayrton Lucas and Jordi Alba. It will have a special place in my gallery.”
Luquinhas has been in MLS since 2022. His path began with Ceilandense-DF in Brazil, although he spent many years in European soccer. In the Old Continent he wore the colors of Vilafranquense, Benfica B, Aves and Legia Varsovia from Poland (where he was twice champion). However, no match should have been as special as the night he faced Messi.
