Facundo Farias had to convince his wife to play with Lionel Messi (Image: GETTY)
Inter Miami welcomed Lionel Messi with open arms in the summer, and his influence on Major League Soccer has already been overwhelming. But the wife of fellow Argentine Facundo Farias wasn’t so understanding, as he had to convince her that moving to Miami was a good idea.
He scored a trademark free kick on his debut and Miami went on to win the competition, the first trophy in franchise history. One of the worst-performing teams in MLS instantly became one of the most relevant clubs on the planet, and soon after Farias was signed.
Messi was the decisive factor in the move, as Farias’ student wife did not want to leave Argentina for the United States. But the happy couple and their young son, Valentino, are now enjoying life in Fort Lauderdale.
Farias was signed in July from Argentine team Colon for approximately £4.46million, but he had been linked with a move to Europe for some time. The 21-year-old made his senior debut at the age of 17, but injury setbacks saw potential moves fall through until Miami came in.
The transfer offer was a chance for Farias to leave Colon behind and further his career elsewhere, but his wife wasn’t convinced straight away. “She was studying her major but we had to move here,” Farias said of his wife to The Athletic.
“She wanted to kill me! But I told her, ‘We’re going to play with Messi!'” It ended years of rumored transfers for Farias, with Colon even putting a £10.1m release clause in his contract as they knew that he would be picked up at some point.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time.
“Every summer I was linked to a new team,” Farías added. “It never happened for me and that can affect your mentality. But my injury happened for a reason. I came back from it with a purpose. I wanted to be stronger and thankfully Inter (Miami) came with an offer.”
Although Miami won the Leagues Cup, they lost the U.S. Open Cup Final with Messi injured on the sidelines, and their poor form without the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner meant they were eliminated from playoff contention in MLS.
But that hasn’t changed the mood in Miami, and Farias is excited for his first full season with the soccer icon. “You have to enjoy (Messi) as much as you can,” Farias said. “He’s the best in the game. He proved that. So just enjoy him and learn from him whenever possible.
“It’s a unique situation to be next to him. He’s a great teammate and he’s so important to us. To have players like him, Sergio (Busquets), and Jordi (Alba) on your team, these are players who have had incredible careers. Everyone respects them and that’s a plus for us. I’m learning so much from Leo and from everyone else.”