Lionel Messi: Beautiful Reception for Inter Miami Star in Canada Ahead of Montreal Clash

• Lionel Messi was welcomed enthusiastically ahead of his first game in Canada
• Messi will lead out his Inter Miami side in their game against Montreal on May 12
• The Argentine tops the leader boards in the MLS this season with 23 goal involvements

Lionel Messi was treated to a wonderful reception in Canada as he and his Inter Miami side arrived for a league game against Montreal Impact.

Inter Miami will play the Canadian side on Sunday morning at the Saputo Stadium as the race to qualify for the Major League Soccer playoffs later this year gathers steam.

The Tata Martino coached side are on a four-match winning streak, with Messi's record of getting a goal involvement in every league game continuing.

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Football

Messi's stats this season

In their last outing, the Argentine star scored once and got five assists as the Herons beat the New York Red Bulls 6-2. The 10-star performance took his goal tally for the season to 10 goals and 13 assists. No other person has more.

The team arrived at the Ritz Carlton hotel to a deafening reception from the fans who thronged the lucrative hotel to catch a glimpse of the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Martino has a lengthy injury list for the game in Canada, with fullback Jordi Alba, Diego Gomez and Redondo Solari among the notable absentees. Messi missed the last game against the same opposition, which they lost 3-2, as captured on the MLS website.

Which country has Messi played in the most?

It will be the first time the former Barcelona captain plays in Canada. Sports Brief has previously reported on the five countries Messi has played the most in. Spain leads by virtue of that's where he spent almost his entire career. France takes second place after he moved to Paris Saint-Germain,

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Football

Players with most assists in 2024

After Messi's five-assist haul against Red Bulls, Sports Brief compiled a list of players with most assists in 2024.

Messi climbed into the top five to reach 11 assists this calendar year. Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne leads with 15 assists, followed by Pachuca's Oussama Idrissi with 13.