Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, stepped onto the field to partake in celebrations and sought out her husband to offer her congratulations.
This after his team Inter Maimi won 5-4 in Ohio to progress to the final against Houston Dynamo of the US Open Cup.
In a video clip, she appeared to spot Messi and moved in for a hug, only realizing at the last moment that the person she was about to embrace was actually Messi’s former Barcelona teammate and current Inter Miami player, Jordi Alba.
Roccuzzo extended her arms to hug Alba, only to recognize the error just before contact. Despite the mishap, the two shared a half-hearted hug and seemed to acknowledge the mistake with laughter and good humour.
Antonella thought Jordi Alba was Messi 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/hRoDwBtP0Q
— Sara 🦋 (@SaraFCBi) August 26, 2023
This mix-up took place as Alba had switched to the MLS side over the summer after his Barcelona contract was terminated a year early.
Although he had only been in Miami for a short while, Messi’s time there has already been prosperous. His new team recently overcame Nashville on penalties to clinch the Leagues Cup, and they swiftly reached another final by defeating FC Cincinnati in the US Open Cup.
This achievement, however, was far from effortless, as Inter Miami had to mount a comeback from being two goals down, leading to a 3-3 draw that extended the match into extra time.
Messi contributed with two assists and also scored his penalty during the encounter, which concluded with Inter Miami winning 5-4 in a shootout in Ohio, thus advancing to the final against Houston Dynamo.
The 36-year-old departed from European football during the summer, leaving behind a legendary tenure at Barcelona where he emerged from the youth ranks and enjoyed a period filled with trophies at Camp Nou.
Over the past two years, Messi has been a part of the, securing the Ligue 1 championship twice but failing to replicate his Champions League triumphs from his time at Barcelona’s Parc des Princes.
In this phase of his career as a seasoned player, he opted for a common move and headed to the MLS, joining forces with David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
