When discussing the impact Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami has had, the focus is usually placed on the club’s sporting growth—now firmly established as the strongest team in Major League Soccer—and on the revolution it has sparked for soccer in the United States through marketing, ticket sales, subscriptions, and more.
However, there is another notable aspect: the transformation in the careers of dozens of players who suddenly found themselves playing alongside—or against—one of the greatest legends in soccer history, something that would have seemed unthinkable to them just a few years ago.
Yannick Bright is one of them. Developed at Arconatese in Italy’s Serie D in 2019, the midfielder arrived in the United States in 2023 to join the Under-23 team of North Carolina Fusion before being drafted by Inter Miami ahead of the 2024 MLS season.
Now firmly established as an important player for the Herons, Bright reflected on what it means for him to be Messi’s teammate. “Winning with him is incredible. If they had told me a few years ago, I would not have believed it,” Yannick admitted during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Italian midfielder Yannick Bright.
Recalling his first impressions upon joining the team and meeting Messi, the Italian midfielder was candid. “The first time I saw him I almost fainted… I wondered what I was doing there, but I understood that I had no choice but to live up to it,” Bright said. “He is humble, with a special aura. Calm off the field, an animal on it.”
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Messi is not the only star who impressed Bright
Alongside Lionel Messi, Inter Miami have featured a group of superstars in recent years who have helped raise the team’s level and turn them into the strongest club in Major League Soccer. Yannick Bright also spoke about those players.
“Playing like Busquets is almost impossible,” admitted the midfielder, who plays in a similar position to Sergio and has shared responsibilities with him on countless occasions over the past two years. “I remember Alba correcting me for a perfect pass because it didn’t come at the right speed,” he added, referring to another star in the squad.
In addition, even the head coach and one of the club’s owners are former players with extensive experience at the elite level of world soccer. Speaking about Javier Mascherano, Bright said he is grateful “for his closeness and confidence,” while he described David Beckham as “pure motivation, he always comes to greet us one by one before the games.”
What’s next for Inter Miami?
In early January, Inter Miami will return to training under head coach Javier Mascherano to begin the most demanding phase of their physical preparation. Later in the month, the team will embark on a South American tour, during which they will play several friendly matches in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.
The official season will begin on February 21 for Lionel Messi and his teammates, when they open the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign away against Los Angeles FC. In addition, on March 11 they will begin their Concacaf Champions Cup run against the winner of the matchup between Nashville SC and Atletico Ottawa.
