"The first time I saw him I almost fainted" - Inter Miami star shares experience of playing alongside Lionel Messi

Inter Miami star Yannick Bright has opened up about working with Lionel Messi at the MLS club. He claimed to have almost fainted the first time he met the Argentine as he was mentally preparing himself to meet the club captain.

Speaking to Gazzetta, Bright said that Messi is a leader on and off the pitch, but moves around like an ordinary person when he is with his teammates. He added that the Barcelona legend knows how to motivate them ahead of the matches and said:

"Leo is a very humble person with an incredible aura. I remember that the first time I saw him I almost fainted, despite trying to prepare myself mentally before he arrived. He presented himself as an ordinary person, he is a leader on and off the pitch, before games he always knows how to find the right words to motivate us." "A model professional, with an obsessive attention to detail. He is a quiet guy, but on the pitch he turns into an animal, at 38 years old and after everything he has won he never wants to lose even in training. In the locker room he also has an excellent relationship with the whole team."

Yannick Bright has played 47 matches with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami since joining in 2024. They have won silverware in both seasons together, winning the Supporters' Shield last season and adding the MLS Cup this time around.

Inter Miami star on his relationship with Lionel Messi

Yannick Bright has revealed that Lionel Messi chats and inquires about his teammates' families in the dressing room. The Italian added that he was in the stands when the Argentine faced AC Milan in the 2011 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona and said:

"A good relationship as teammates: we talk a lot about football, he tells me about his family and asks me about mine. He has been a great help in these two years both on and off the pitch. He told me that he likes Italy and the matches he played at San Siro. When he won with Barcelona against Milan in 2011, I was also in the stands, thanks to my brother who played in the youth team."

Lionel Messi will continue playing for Inter Miami for another three seasons, after penning a new deal at the club this year. His new contract extends his stay at the club until 2028.

Edited by Sripad