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Four days after being named FIFA’s Best Male Player, Lionel Messi began his preseason with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF, which ended in a scoreless draw with the El Salvadoran national team in Friday night’s exhibition.
The Argentina star played the first half alongside Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who will be his new teammate in the upcoming MLS season. Suarez played six seasons with Barcelona before reuniting with Messi in Miami.
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Fans packed Cuscatlan Stadium hours before the start. El Salvador’s President Nayib Boucle took the opportunity to meet Messi and welcomed the team to the presidential palace before the match.
Messi created several chances to score, and in the 39th minute he set up Jordi Alba to score, but his shot was deflected by goalkeeper Mario Gonzalez.
Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino rested Messi, Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets in the second half. The club still dominated possession, but El Salvador had their best scoring chance in the 83rd minute when Stephen Vazquez’s shot hit the crossbar.
Messi, 36, arrived in Miami last July and has scored 10 goals in seven games. He won the League Cup final on 19 August, leading the club to their first ever trophy.
Inter Miami will face FC Dallas in the Cotton Bowl next Monday before traveling to Saudi Arabia to face Al Hilal on January 29th and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nasr on February 2nd.
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