“Incredible to see that he’s still doing it” - Vancouver Whitecaps star who idolises Lionel Messi shares early memory of watching ex-Barcelona ace

Vancouver Whitecaps star Emmanuel Sabbi has admitted that he grew up idolising Lionel Messi, and the Barcelona legend remains his favorite player. The USMNT star added that his first memory of the Inter Miami captain was the first goal, assisted by Ronaldinho.

Speaking to GOAL ahead of the MLS Cup final, Sabbi said that he is in awe of what Messi continues to do on the pitch and hopes that the Inter Miami captain does not repeat it against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the clash. When asked to name his first memory of the Argentine, Sabbi said:

"Honestly, his first goal was insane. And just getting a pass from Ronaldinho like that, and just finishing it the way he did. It's insane. It's incredible to see that he's still doing it today, and yeah, hopefully he doesn't go against us! "

Talking about his previous meeting with Messi in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Sabbi said:

"I mean, it's the best player of all time, and you're standing on the pitch with him and playing against him and trying to defend him. And, you know, it's surreal."

Inter Miami defeated New York City FC in the MLS Eastern Conference final, while Vancouver Whitecaps defeated San Diego FC to make it to the MLS Cup final.

Lionel Messi's return to Barcelona is unrealistic, says Joan Laporta

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted that Lionel Messi's return to the club is 'not realistic'. He said the club has a lot of respect for the Argentine and never wanted him to leave in 2021. He said (via ESPN):

"His departure wasn't as we wanted. But out of the utmost respect for Messi and everyone at the club, for me to feed speculation that is not realistic is not appropriate."

When quizzed about Messi's surprise visit to Camp Nou, Laporta admitted that he was unaware of the plan and added:

"I didn't know he was coming, but Camp Nou is his home. They told me what happened. It was a nice gesture. He had just finished dinner and felt like coming with some friends. It was a spontaneous act in the spirt of Barcelona. It's only fair that Leo should have the most beautiful tribute in the world. When the stadium is finished, we'll have a capacity of 105,000 fans, so we'd like that."

Lionel Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after they could not renew his contract. He has now signed an extension with Inter Miami that runs through 2028.