Inter Miami CF’s newest arrival, Argentine FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, lands in South Florida in a familiar environment; here he will play alongside former teammates and friends as he writes another chapter in his successful career. Below, let’s review all prior links between El Motorcito and our Club.
De Paul - Messi Connection
Our new midfield engine has a deep connection with Club captain and fútbol legend, Lionel Messi. The pair have starred for their nation in an era of success over the past years, serving as key figures as Argentina clinched a historic 2022 FIFA World Cup title, as well as in La Albiceleste’s 2021 and 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América and 2022 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions conquests.
Of De Paul’s 78 caps for Argentina, 62 have been playing alongside Messi while recording 46 wins, 11 draws and just five losses. Additionally, they faced off twice in Spain in LaLiga action during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns while De Paul was at the ranks at Valencia CF and Messi was an FC Barcelona player.
El Motorcito vs. El Jefe
Amongst the familiar faces De Paul will encounter at the Club is another compatriot and fellow former LaLiga standout, head coach Javier Mascherano.
Despite Mascherano’s lengthy Argentine national team career, the midfielders never coincided donning the famous white and light blue jersey, but they did meet twice in the past in Valencia vs. Barcelona LaLiga games during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
El Motorcito and El Pistolero Reunited
De Paul also reunites with Luis Suárez after their year as teammates playing for Atlético de Madrid during the 2021-22 season. The pair shared the pitch a total 39 times across all competitions for Los Colchoneros, with De Paul contributing three goals and two assists and Suárez notching 11 goals and three assists.
In addition, they matched up against each other six times in the past: twice in Spanish LaLiga games in the 2014-15 season and six times in fierce battles between the Argentine and Uruguayan national teams.
De Paul’s Past Matchups Against Other New Inter Miami Teammates
The all-action midfielder’s path through Spain also saw him face legends of the game and new Inter Miami teammates in Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. De Paul and Alba clashed three times in the past; two times in Valencia vs. Barcelona LaLiga games during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, and once in an Atlético vs. Barcelona showdown in the 2021-22 campaign.
De Paul and Busquets, meanwhile, faced off five times; twice in the same Valencia vs. Barcelona matches during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and three times in Atlético vs. Barcelona games between 2021 and 2023.
De Paul has also played against fellow countryman and Club goalkeeper Óscar Ustari, facing him wearing the Racing Club jersey in an Argentine First Division match in 2013 when he was a Club Atlético Boca Juniors player.
Training at Chase Stadium and Florida Blue Training Center
Lastly, De Paul is no stranger to the state-of-the-art Florida Blue Training Center, as he previously has trained with Argentina at Club’s facilities, including preparatory work ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 and Copa América 2024 title-clinching campaigns.
