Lionel Messi shows class during Inter Miami trophy lift by handing over armband

20 August 2023 , 11:12

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Lionel Messi handed over his captain's arm band

Lionel Messi has been hailed for showing his class following Inter Miami's Leagues Cup victory, after handing the captain's armband over to DeAndre Yedlin ahead of the trophy lift.

Messi once again played a key role in Miami's victory, as the Argentine opened the scoring with a stunning effort from 20 yards inside the first 30 minutes. Nashville SC got themselves back into it in the second half though, as Fafa Picault leveled things up just before the hour mark.

After a tense 90 minutes, the game was then decided on penalties and it was Messi and co who prevailed 10-9, with Elliot Panicco's miss the deciding spot kick.

The victory continued Messi's remarkable start to life in Miami, with the seven-time Ballon D'or winner adding a piece of silverware to his 10 goals in seven games following his arrival in the US. Since making the move, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star has been given the role of club captain.

Ahead of the trophy lift at GEODIS Park though, Messi handed the armband back over to Yedlin, the man who held the role before the Argentine's arrival last month. In a classy video, Messi is seen removing the captain's armband before making his way over to the American international.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur fullback Yedlin was initially reluctant to take the limelight away from the World Cup winner, however Messi insisted. The pair then made their way onto the podium before lifting the trophy in front of the Nashville crowd together.

On the back of his touching moment with Yedlin, Messi earned the plaudits from those watching. Taking to Twitter, one fan wrote: "Messi is the greatest leader and humanitarian of all time," whilst another added: "Nice Gesture. Quite thoughtful from Messi.. What a player! GOAT."

The former Barcelona star also earned the plaudits of Nashville coach Gary Smith, who labelled Messi 'unplayable' following his team's defeat. "This is the first time that I've seen [Messi] play live. And I think what I would take away is that there are moments in the game that he's just unplayable," he said.

"It's not over a prolonged period. It's not for 90 minutes. There are windows, where he just comes to life and it's almost impossible to deal with what he's wanting to do."

Joshua Lees