Lionel Messi’s family have headed over Stateside to join the football GOAT at Inter Miami, with the Argentine already having success in Major League Soccer (MLS).

The 36-year-old left European football over the summer after becoming a legend at Barcelona where he came through the youth team ranks and enjoy a trophy-laden spell at the Camp Nou.

For the past two years, Messi has been at French side Paris Saint-Germain, winning the Ligue 1 title twice but failing to replicate the Champions League success at the Parc des Princes which he enjoyed at Barca.

The now veteran has made a common move for the twilight years of his playing career and headed to the MLS, linking up with David Beckham’s Inter Miami.

It has already been a successful spell for Messi in Miami despite only being there for a few months.

His new side recently beat Nashville on penalties to win the Leagues Cup, and have reached another final in quick succession with victory over FC Cincinnati in the US Open Cup.

It was far from straightforward though, as Inter Miami had to come from two goals down to take the game to extra time after a 3-3 draw.

Messi notched two assists in the encounter and scored his penalty as Inter Miami won 5-4 in Ohio in the shootout to progress to the final against Houston Dynamo.

Following the victory, Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo took to the pitch to join the celebrations and sought out her husband to congratulate him.

Footage showed her thinking she had clapped eyes on Messi and went in to hug him – only to realise at the last moment it was actually Messi’s former Barcelona and now Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba.

 

The defender made the switch to the MLS side over the summer after his Barca contract was ended a year early.

And Roccuzzo approached Alba with arms stretched ready to embrace him, only to realise moments before that it was not her husband and instead, the duo had a half-hearted hug, but appeared to recognise the mistake and laugh it off in good spirits.