Why Lionel Messi Could Refuse to Play Some MLS Games Days After Sealing Move to Miami

• Lionel Messi was recently unveiled as a new Inter Miami player in a glitzy ceremony
• Messi is expected to get straight into business, with his debut set for July 21
• However, the Argentine forward is said to be unwilling to play some games due to artificial turfs

Lionel Messi could reportedly refuse to play in some Major League Soccer games only one week after sealing a sensational move to Inter Miami.

Messi joined the David Beckham-owned franchise on a free transfer after the completion of his Paris Saint-Germain contract. He rejected an attempt to return to Barcelona and an audacious offer from the Saudi Pro League.

He is now expected to be the new shining light of the American League, with more of his former Barcelona teammates poised to join him. Deals have already been agreed for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, with the club also keen on roping in Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez.

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Why Messi could miss some games

But even amidst all the razzmatazz of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner kicking it in the MLS, it has emerged that the Argentine might refuse to play in some games due to the presence of artificial turfs.

The Mirror reports that the 36-year-old is unwilling to play on unnatural surfaces due to the dangers it poses to athletes. Beckham himself has in the past voiced concerns over footballers being made to play on artificial surfaces.

Six MLS clubs currently have such grounds in what could be a major problem for the league should Messi decline to play in those games. Portland Timbers, New England Revolution, Charlotte FC, Seattle Sounders, Atlanta United and Vancouver Whitecaps all play in synthetic fields.

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Messi's Miami is yet to play Atlanta and Charlotte away this season. It is a problem that MLS commissioner Don Garber acknowledges, with the aforementioned six teams being advised to move to temporary natural fields so as not to miss out on the potential revenue Messi would bring in.

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"That’s going to be the decision of every club when they do travel to those stadiums that don’t have natural grass. My expectations are that that’s what they will do, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to figure all of that out. MLS promotes a lot of international games and we have been able to bring natural grass into those stadiums, but we’ve never done that for a regular season game," he told the Athletic.

Messi has never played in an artificial field, given that La Liga and Ligue 1 have banned the use of such fields. He is expected to make his debut on Friday against Cruz Azul in the League's Cup.

Inter Miami's followers increase sharply

Major League Soccer side Inter Miami seems to be gaining a lot of prominence following Lionel Messi's sensational transfer. It has now emerged that Inter Miami have benefited significantly on social media since Messi's arrival.

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It is no secret that the Barcelona legend is one of the most admired footballers in the world, with the forward being the second-most followed player on Instagram after Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Argentine has seemingly helped his new side get some substantive following on the platform, with the MLS outfit now boasting more followers than Serie A giants Inter Milan.