Will Lionel Messi make his first Inter Miami start against Atlanta United? Will he be captain?

Lionel Messi’s debut for Inter Miami couldn’t have ended any better than it did. In case you somehow weren’t aware, the Argentina captain, arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport, scored a match-winning free-kick deep into injury time to win the opening Leagues Cup match against Liga MX side Cruz Azul. It doesn’t get much more clutch than that.

Now that the anticipation of Messi actually turning out for The Herons is over, attention turns to how - and when - head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino will integrate the former Barcelona playmaker into his starting line-up. With games coming thick and fast in the Leagues Cup, what role will the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner - and fellow summer signing Sergio Busquets - play against Atlanta United at DRV PNK Stadium on Tuesday?

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Messi and Busquets to “make history” against Atlanta

Speaking to the press head of the game, Martino had revealed that it was “likely” both would play from the off, unless they suffered any unforeseen fitness setbacks.

“It’s very probable that Leo and Busi will play more,” Martino said on Monday. “It’s possible to believe that if they play more minutes the team’s dynamic will change, and they’ll likely do that from the start. Everything is going to depend on how they feel”.

And the pair must be feeling just fine, as The Herons claimed on social media that “history will be made!”, and that both players would indeed be in the starting eleven.

Messi to take Inter Miami captaincy

Martino has also confirmed that Messi will captain Inter Miami going forward, as he does Argentina. In the clash against La Máquina, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain schemer took the armband from DeAndre Yedlin after coming on in the 54th minute, despite the fact that the USMNT defender stayed on for the whole game.