Lionel Messi's presence is 'tremendous'! Nashville SC general manager rolls out the red carpet for Inter Miami star ahead of Leagues Cup final

• Messi starring for Inter Miami
• Helped them reach Leagues Cup final
• Nashville boss happy he's in MLS

WHAT HAPPENED? The Argentine World Cup winner has been a revelation since joining Inter Miami in July. The 36-year-old, who left Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer, scored his ninth goal in six games to help them reach the Leagues Cup final, which takes place on Saturday against Nashville. Ahead of the showpiece event, Jacobs says the former Barcelona star's move has done wonders for the MLS.

WHAT THEY SAID: Jacobs said ahead of the final: "What’s happened with the addition of Messi and obviously some other really special players is tremendous for our league, the visibility of our players, our teams.

"Nashville SC will play in front of more people than in our club’s history and that wouldn’t have happened this weekend had Messi not come to our league. So I think that’s tremendous."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi is, arguably, the biggest player to ever play in the United States, ahead of the likes of Pele, David Beckham, who co-owns Inter Miami, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. If they beat Nashville, this will be the club's first ever trophy.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Getty Images

Getty Images

WHAT NEXT? After the final, the teams will return to MLS action later this month.