Matt Doyle has claimed Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are now making an Inter Miami youngster look good in recent weeks.
The attacking duo have been mainstays in the Herons’ starting XI this season with Messi and Suarez one of the most famous forward pairings in the history of soccer, with the duo enjoying immense success at FC Barcelona alongside Neymar.
And Messi and Suarez have taken their attacking relationship to another level at Inter Miami, with the pair leading the Florida franchise to the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings after a blistering start to the 2024 MLS season.
Yet Messi and Suarez are also raising the levels of other players in Inter Miami’s squad.
Messi and Suarez are inspiring Leo Afonso to succeed at Inter Miami
Speaking on MLS’s Extratime podcast, expert Doyle noted how Messi and Suarez were having a noticeable effect on new arrival Leo Afonso, who since being signed by Inter Miami earlier this year has emerged as a useful backup option in the attack for Tata Martino’s side.
Doyle said about Messi and Suarez’s impact on Afonso: “The thing with players of that caliber is they have access to a level of performance of how they elevate the guys around them that even great players just can’t reach.
“So you get a situation where Leo Afonso, who was a second-round draft pick, comes in and suddenly he’s a really effective player, because he doesn’t have to do any of the heavy lifting.
“Look at Pedro [Rodriguez], he was a good player, yet he was incredible for Barcelona because he knew how to play off of the gravity of Messi and the entire midfield, and it keeps happening because of good these guys are.”
Inter Miami players going up another level thanks to world-class teammates
It’s no real surprise that playing alongside the likes of Messi and Suarez is going to give players a big boost in terms of confidence on the pitch, yet few would have expected Inter Miami to elevate their game this much.
As well as Afonso, the likes of Robert Taylor and Diego Gomez have thrived alongside Messi and Suarez, with the Herons seeing a noticeable improvement across the pitch when the two players are on the field together.
Indeed, the results speak for themselves, and Messi and Suarez’s impact at Inter Miami is something that will result in the likes of Afonso becoming better players in the years to come having now had that experience.