All eyes were on Lionel Messi on the opening night of Leagues Cup, as the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner took the field for the very first time as an Inter Miami CF player. The forward did more than justify the fanfare that followed his arrival, as he scored a last-minute free-kick to seal the win over Cruz Azul and send DRV PNK Stadium into raptures.
The World Cup winner, though, is far from the only Argentine who’s leaving his mark on MLS, with a host of Messi’s compatriots starring for clubs across the league this season. Like the former Barcelona man, they’ll be looking to lead their teams to Leagues Cup glory. Here’s a rundown of five of them to keep an eye on during the tournament.
Cristian Espinoza
The wide man is central to San Jose Earthquakes’ resurgence this campaign, after the Californian outfit finished rock bottom of the Western Conference last time out. Having joined back in 2019, the 28-year-old’s 51 assists since then is an all-time club record.
The nimble and prolific winger is coming into this summer’s tournament in the form of his life, having picked up the MLS player of the month award back in April, and his 11 goals in league action so far are a career-best haul.
Julián Carranza
The 23-year-old will have wasted no time in making his presence felt at Leagues Cup, netting a brace in Philadelphia Union’s 3-1 win over Club Tijuana in their first match of the competition. The CA Banfield youth graduate is a clinical finisher, who has found his feet with The Union after a middling stint at Inter Miami CF. With ten goals already this season, the looks to be on track to beat his haul of 14 from last season.
Thiago Almada
The only other Argentine in MLS who boasts a World Cup winners’ medal. The 22-year-old was rewarded for an impressive first season at Atlanta United with a spot in the Albiceleste squad that would go on to clinch their country’s third title on the global stage.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is leading his team’s Audi MLS Cup Playoff charge this season, having already found the net eight times. He’ll be going up against his fellow world champion in the team’s opening Leagues Cup game, on Wednesday against Inter Miami.
Emanuel Reynoso
Another playmaker with an eye for goal. The 27-year-old initially joined from Boca Juniors ahead of the 2020 campaign, and reached new heights last year when he racked up 10 goals and 6 assists to lead his team into the playoffs.
Reynoso was suspended at the start of the current season for missing a pre-season training camp, but returned to action in May and is now back to his prolific best. One to keep an eye on when his team open their Leagues Cup campaign against Club Puebla on Sunday night.
Luciano Acosta
The FC Cincinnati club captain is something of an MLS veteran by now, having first joined D.C. United back in 2016 from Atlas FC. This season, the attacking midfielder is more clinical than ever, having already found the net 12 times. Adding his eight assists, he has the second-most goal contributions across the league, and was named MLS Player of the Month for July.
And the list doesn’t stop there, with dozens more of Messi’s compatriots proving pivotal for their respective MLS outfits - from Austin FC midfielder Sebastián Driussi, to Charlotte FC forward Sebastián Copetti, to FC Dallas forward Enzo Copetti.
He may be in an entirely new league, but with so many of his fellow Argentines lighting up the league, it won’t be long before Messi starts to feel right at home.
