Jordi Alba gives key advice to Inter Miami rising star and explains his chemistry with Lionel Messi

With the MLS Eastern Conference final on the horizon, Jordi Alba delivered a key advice to an rising star at Inter Miami and addressed the youngster’s chemistry with Lionel Messi.

Jordi Alba has long been one of Lionel Messi’s most trusted partners, having played alongside him for nine years at FC Barcelona, and now these last few years at Inter Miami. With the Herons preparing for the MLS Eastern Conference Final, the Spanish left back offered important advice to one of the team’s rising stars while also explaining the youngster’s on-field chemistry with Messi.

In the conference semifinals against FC Cincinnati, Messi opened the scoring with a brilliant header in what became a dominant 4–0 win at TQL Stadium. The cross that found the captain came from Mateo Silvetti, who also connected with Messi on one of his assists before scoring his first goal for Inter Miami.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Alba was asked about Silvetti’s connection with Messi: “In my opinion, playing with Leo is very easy because he understands your qualities perfectly. Silvetti is very fast, strong in one-on-one situations, and has the ability to score. From that perspective, Leo gives him confidence — and Silvetti knows how to read what Leo is going to do in every moment.“

Beyond praising his skill set, Alba also explained why the Silvetti-Messi pairing can be so valuable for Miami. “That’s not easy, but he gets it, because he knows how to make the right move at the right time. And Leo always knows exactly when to give you the pass and when the danger is about to arrive. In that sense, he’ll have a great time with Leo,” he concluded.

With Allen Obando struggling to stay fit, Inter Miami turned to the summer transfer window to bring in Silvetti. Signed for a reported $4 million fee, the young striker slowly earned minutes and trust under head coach Javier Mascherano.

After a breakout run with Argentina at the U-20 World Cup, Silvetti returned to Miami and earned his first start in Game 3 against Nashville, stepping in for the suspended Luis Suárez and providing his first assist to Messi. Now with one goal and two assists in his past two matches, the 19-year-old will look to extend his strong form and help push Miami to the top of MLS.

Will Silvetti start against New York City FC?

Ahead of the match against FC Cincinnati, eyebrows were raised when Mascherano opted to bench star striker Luis Suárez in favor of Silvetti. The Argentine coach later explained the decision as a tactical move focused on physicality, making Silvetti’s youth and energy essential for the starting role.

The question now is whether Mascherano will make a similar decision against New York City FC, Miami’s opponent Saturday in the Eastern Conference Final. While it remains unclear, both Silvetti and Suárez are in contention to start.

The Herons and NYCFC met twice during the 2025 MLS season: the league opener ended in a 2–2 draw, and their September matchup resulted in a 4–0 road win for Miami. In that second match, Silvetti made his first start, joining an attack that featured Suárez, Messi, and Baltasar Rodríguez, but with Tadeo Allende in outstanding form (five goals in four playoff matches), Mascherano may need to adjust his lineup to fit all his in-form attackers on Saturday.