Though Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi have played together for the national team, De Paul had always dreamed of sharing the same club side as well — and Messi played a key role in making that happen at Inter Miami.
The two have been teammates for Argentina, and their close relationship is well known in the football world. But that wasn’t enough for De Paul. Deep down, he longed to be Messi’s teammate at club level too. That dream has finally come true at Inter Miami, and the Argentine midfielder revealed that Messi was deeply involved in the transfer process.
De Paul recently joined Inter Miami from Atletico Madrid. For now, his contract runs only for the remainder of the year in Major League Soccer, but there is an option to extend for a further four years.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. For now, De Paul is just thrilled to fulfill his dream, telling ESPN:
“Whenever I spoke with Leo, we dreamed of playing together — bringing what we’ve done for Argentina into club football. That dream has now become reality. They knew I had only one year left on my Atletico Madrid contract, and Jorge Mas, one of Inter Miami’s owners, had come to Madrid.”
“Mas has a close relationship with Atletico’s owners. When talks began and the deal started taking shape, we were already talking about playing with Leo — being with him every day on the pitch and in the dressing room. That was our dream.”
The 31-year-old midfielder said Messi took a special interest in making sure everything went smoothly.
“His involvement was very important, especially to ensure I was in a good situation and that everything was going well. He was very attentive throughout the entire process.”
“When everything was finalized, I got a call from him. The day after I arrived in Miami, Leo came to the club to check on me — to see what I needed and how I was feeling. That’s friendship. It was an incredibly rewarding moment.”
De Paul admits he didn’t know much about Inter Miami’s atmosphere beforehand but understood one thing clearly: wherever Messi goes, the goal is always to win trophies.
“Anyone who knows Leo knows that wherever he goes, the drive to win is always there. He always wants to fight for victory and be a key figure for both his club and country. So I knew where I was going and what the club expected from me, considering my current situation and age.”
“The club’s dressing room has amazed and excited me. There are many quality players here — some I knew before, some I didn’t. But the way everyone works hard, their focus and dedication — all of that shows the club’s ambition. The club is growing and becoming a big force. To achieve that, we have to win trophies.”
