Millions aspire to be Lionel Messi, even for a moment, and it seems his teammate Jordi Alba had a humorous brush with that fantasy. After what appeared to be Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup victory over Nashville, Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, approached to congratulate her husband with a hug and a kiss—only to realize she was embracing Alba instead.
The mix-up occurred as their heads moved toward one another, but Antonela quickly recognized it was Messi’s former Barcelona teammate. Alba joined Inter Miami last month, reuniting with Messi and fellow Catalan legend Sergio Busquets.
So far, Alba has made six appearances for the Herons, contributing one goal and two assists. He will be part of the team aiming to climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in their upcoming match against the New York Red Bulls.
As for Messi, it remains uncertain whether he will start in what could be his MLS debut. He played 120 minutes in Inter Miami’s recent US Open Cup semifinal win over Cincinnati, which went to penalties. Following that match, coach Tata Martino mentioned the need to manage Messi’s playing time carefully.
Inter Miami currently sits last in the Eastern Conference standings (15th) and will face the Red Bulls (11th) at 7:30 PM ET.