Never in his wildest dreams, when David Ruiz was a kid growing up in Little Havana playing youth soccer at Charles Hadley Park in Allapattah, did he imagine he would wind up as Lionel Messi’s teammate, playing a match at Estadio Olimpico in Honduras, birthplace of his parents and his entire extended family. On his 21 st birthday, no less.

Inter Miami concluded its preseason tour in Latin America with a decisive 5-0 victory over Olimpia in Honduras. The team enjoyed a series of wins against Club América, Universitario de Perú, and Sporting San Miguelito,

Messi gave the crowd a lasting memory, scoring a goal and delivering two assists to lead Miami to a 5-0 victory. The Argentine captain played 63 minutes and was replaced by 17-year-old Santi Morales. The other Inter Miami goals were scored by Fede Redondo, Noah Allen, Luis Suarez, and Ryan Sailor, who came off the bench in the 71 st minute.

Inter Miami defeated Honduran side C.D. Olimpia 5-0 in a preseason friendly Saturday evening, with Lionel Messi bagging a goal and an assist en route to victory. The Argentine opened the scoring himself midway through the first half,