Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are preparing to travel to Canada for their next MLS match of the season. Almost two weeks ago, Inter Miami played in Canada against CF Montreal, and Messi played his first game on Canadian soil. Now, the Inter Miami team will go up against the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place. Vancouver Whitecaps manager Vanni Sartini was asked about Messi’s arrival to the city of Vancouver and if he was excited to receive him. Sartini made headlines when he said, “I am going to be much more excited if I see [David] Beckham than Messi. It’s a generational thing.” The Italian manager mentioned that he is the same age as Beckham and looked up to the former Manchester United player when he was younger.
Vancouver Whitecaps’ coach Vanni Sartini “ I am going to be much more excited if I see Beckham than Messi “#VWFC #Messi #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/RqRrr7GIFg
— Claudio (@ClaudioFutbol) May 23, 2024
Sartini also spoke about how to stop Messi and Luis Suarez in the game against Inter Miami. The Italian manager acknowledged that the quality of the two is inevitable, but he is focused on his team’s performance. Sartini said, “We cannot limit the danger of Messi and Suarez. We must prevent the ball from being passed towards them, and we need to be in the right state of mind. Let’s forget about Messi and focus on our performance.”
فاني سارتيني (مدرب فانكوفر): لا يمكننا الحد من خطورة ميسي وسواريز، يجب علينا منع تمرير الكرة بإتجاههما ونحتاج إلى أن نكون في الحاله الذهنيه المناسبه. دعونا ننسى ميسي ونركز على أدائنا pic.twitter.com/qECATTWk1v
— Messi Xtra (@M30Xtra) May 22, 2024
The Vancouver Whitecaps are 7th in the MLS Western Conference with 19 points after 13 league games played. Their record so far in the 2024 MLS Season is five wins, four draws, and four losses. Their last MLS game was against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This will be the first time Messi faced Vancouver in the MLS since he arrived last summer. Inter Miami are first in the Eastern Conference with 31 points after 15 games played. Their record is nine wins, four draws, and two losses.
Inter Miami’s trip to Vancouver will be very long
One curious detail about Inter Miami’s game at Vancouver is that it will be the most distance an MLS team has ever traveled. Vancouver is on the west side of Canada, while Miami is on the bottom right of the United States. Messi and Inter Miami will travel to Vancouver to play against the Whitecaps, which is a distance of 4,500km, which is around 2,796.17 miles.
سيسافر ميسي وفريق إنتر ميامي إلى فانكوفر للعب ضد وايت كابس بمسافة تُقدر بـ4500km
— Messi Xtra (@M30Xtra) May 22, 2024
⚠️ هذه هي أكبر مسافة سافرها فريق في الـMLS على الإطلاق pic.twitter.com/HIwriiLdgJ