Imagine playing on the B team of a U.S. team and, in the same week, becoming a locker room mate with Leo Messi and Luis Suárez. That’s what happened to Brazilian Leo Afonso. In Inter Miami’s youth ranks since 2019, the 22-year-old from São Paulo was playing for the B team of the Florida franchise, Inter Miami II, when he was drafted at the 32nd position in the SuperDraft.
Prior to it, he had signed his first one-year professional contract with the option of a three-year extension, delighted coach Tata Martino, and been loaned out twice to the best club.Currently, the young player is the only Brazilian left on the squad following the departures of Jean Mota to Vitória and Gregore to Botafogo.
Leo Afonso, who played in the United States during his whole youth division, spoke exclusively with the Fifth Room about how he first made contact with Messi, whose country he would choose to defend in a call-up, and how he approached the idea of playing Major League Soccer.
Leo Afonso, a striker for Inter Miami, is featured in this exclusive interview where you can also learn about:
- Who is the 22-year-old Brazilian striker Leo Afonso, who just joined with Inter Miami?
- As the lone Brazilian on the team, how does it feel? Do you and the other South American players have any rivalry?
- How did you feel when you first saw Messi at Inter Miami?
- Which national team is stronger, the US or Brazil?
- Advice for kids that want to play Major League Soccer.
Fifth Quarter: Leo Afonso: Who is he and how did he come to Inter Miami’s first squad, for those who do not know?
São Paulo is where I was born and raised. I stayed there up to the age of thirteen. After that, my family and I relocated to South Florida. I began playing at neighborhood schools before Philadelphia Union Academy called me up. After a year, I went back to Miami. I would have a great chance to be near my family once more, and the team had only recently begun. I chose to attend University of Virginia for my undergraduate education after deciding to stay here for an additional year in order to further my personal growth. I played there for four seasons until Miami selected me. After two games, I signed with the club’s B squad and participated in the preseason.
Q: Did you play for any club in Brazil?
Leo Afonso: Not in a nightclub. My sole team was the social team in São Paulo.
Q: And what was it like so quickly to leave the B team to move up to Inter Miami’s top team?
Leo Afonso: It was really significant to me. This has always been my dream. I’ve always wanted to play professionally and go to a top division team. Before making a permanent signing, I had two loans from the second team to the first squad. And as soon as I got a whiff of this professional life, I knew it would be amazing and that I would really want to be there. Subsequently, following my loan match against New York City in the second game, I received a call informing me that I would be joining the first team. My family and I were filled with immense joy during that time. It fulfilled a desire. The best is still to come, though.
Q: Did it change your life a lot after you made it to Inter Miami’s first team?
Leo Afonso: Not a whole lot has changed. I still live with my parents and go about my daily life as usual. We all had a happy moment at that time, but my everyday life is still the same. To reach my desired level, I have to put in more effort every day.
- QQ: What’s it like to be Inter Miami’s only Brazilian? How is the relationship with the other athletes on the team?
Leo Afonso: Everything is how it should be; it’s calm. Since I’m Brazilian and my squad includes Uruguayans and Argentines, there isn’t any rivalry. The boys are quite kind with me. Everyone gets along wonderfully.
QQ: Do you have contact with the other Brazilians in the League?
Leo Afonso: Not quite yet. Everything is brand-new. I haven’t spoken to anyone as of yet.
Q: What was it like for you to meet Leo Messi for the first time there at Inter Miami?
Leo Afonso: I remember the initial instance. It happened about the second week of January, and I was on loan for the preseason. While we were being foolish, I was thinking to myself, “I wonder if he’s here, I don’t see him.” An hour later, I turned to look at him. He was approaching me, not too far away. He smiled and slapped my hand. I stopped moving. For about two minutes, I just stood there trying to take it all in. That was the initial state of affairs, but now things are quieter. Not that it’s usual, but talking to him every day helps to minimize the initial shock.
QQ: And what’s it like to be next to Messi at Inter Miami? Are there things he does that you, next door, find it hard to believe?
Leo Afonso: I’ll tell you that, nine times out of ten, he makes the basket. I’m still trying to figure out how he accomplished it. His work is outstanding because of its rapidity. Gazing, you question how he manages to achieve it. It’s excessive.
Q: V read about a news in the US about how Messi joining the team’s WhatsApp group shocked certain players. In that group are you.
Leo Afonso: Not quite yet, actually. I’ll talk to the caretaker. As the administrator, he hasn’t added me yet. However, I must go inside.
Dreaming big. You have lived in the United States for the better part of ten years, having established your whole life there. If you had to choose between the American and Brazilian teams at some point, which one would you choose?
Leo Afonso: Brazil’s national team. In totality. Without a doubt.
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