One of the best traditions in sports is the captain of a soccer club being handed the trophy to celebrate with their teammates after winning a tournament.
That moment was expected to go to Lionel Messi, Inter Miami’s captain during nearly all of its Leagues Cup run. But the Argentine superstar did something slightly different.
Following the match and post-game celebration, and before the trophy raising, Messi walked to DeAndre Yedlin and gave him the captain’s armband to wear for the trophy presentation. Yedlin had been the club’s captain before Messi’s arrival.
After the team and staff received their medals, Yedlin and Messi were the final ones to take the stage. The two of them carried the Leagues Cup trophy together and both of them lifted the trophy up for the celebration photo.
Prior to the final, Yedlin spoke of his respect for Messi: “"He could have come in and said, 'I'm doing stuff my way and that's how it's going to be.' But he's come in and he's completely mixed in with the group: the old guys, the young guys, just like a regular player. Obviously I had ridiculous respect for him as a player before I played with him, but I have even more respect for him now. He's an unbelievable human being.”
