Lionel Messi on track for debut after first Miami training - ESPN

Lionel Messi remains on track to make his Inter Miami debut on Friday after coming through his first official training session with the MLS club on Tuesday.

Miami has long targeted Friday's Leagues Cup opener against Mexican side Cruz Azul for the Argentine superstar to make his first appearance following his blockbuster move to South Florida.

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It has been a whirlwind few days for Messi, with his signing on a 2½ year contract that'll pay him between $50 million and $60 million a year being confirmed Saturday before being unveiled in front of a sell-out crowd at Miami's DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale the following day.

After Messi trained alongside former Barcelona teammate and fellow new signing Sergio Busquets, Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham confirmed that he expects the World Cup winner to play some part in Friday's game.

«We don't know if Leo will start the game or whether he'll come on, because I think at the end of the day, he needs to be ready,» Beckham told ESPN. «We need to protect him and make sure that he's ready because he's had a vacation.

»He's now been in Miami for a week and he's been training really hard and he looks great. So I think Leo and [head coach] Tata [Martino] will decide when he plays and when he comes on on Friday, but the atmosphere here will be incredible, and hopefully we get a win."

On Tuesday, a helicopter hovered overhead, drones buzzed around the field and about 200 media members lined up toward the back of the complex to get a look at Messi. He, like Busquets, went through a welcome tunnel as part of the first practice, which meant jogging past teammates as they lined up and clapped.

«It's like Michael Jordan going to play,