Blaise Matuidi, the World Cup-winning French midfielder Inter Miami CF signed three weeks ago, will be available for the team’s match against Nashville SC at Inter Miami CF Stadium on Sunday after joining his new club on the practice fields for the first time this week.
“We’re happy Blaise is training with us,” Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso said during a conference call with reporters Friday. “He’s available to play this weekend. We think he’s trained very well, and we’re confident that he’s going to be able to participate in the upcoming match.”
After going through Major League Soccer’s COVID-19 protocol — which included mandatory testing and a quarantine period of up to 10 days — Matuidi practiced with Inter Miami on Thursday for the first time after arriving in South Florida last week.
The former Juventus midfielder was working on his visa paperwork leading up to his arrival in the U.S. If Matuidi plays against Nashville, he should provide a spark in Inter Miami’s midfield, which has had difficulties creating quality scoring opportunities for their attacking players during the team’s inaugural MLS season.
Inter Miami have netted six goals in eight matches and haven’t scored in half of their games. They’re coming off consecutive scoreless outings with a 1-0 lost to Nashville Aug. 30 and a 0-0 draw against Atlanta United FC Wednesday.
He isn’t known for his scoring, but Matuidi could help Inter Miami’s attack with his movement off the ball and opening passing lanes for his teammates.
Matuidi has been one of the best midfielders in the world since 2010. He was named the 2015 French Player of the Year by French magazine France Football. Matuidi has made 84 appearances with France’s national men’s soccer team, which won the 2018 World Cup — making him the only World Cup winner to currently be in MLS.
“The arrival of a player of his quality is undoubtedly going to help the team,” Alonso said.
Matuidi’s relationship with David Beckham, Inter Miami co-owner and president of soccer operations, played a significant factor in Inter Miami signing the former Juventus midfielder. Before joining Juventus in 2017, Matuidi spent seven seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, where he and Beckham were teammates in 2013 before Beckham’s retirement that same year.
“I’m really happy to be here,” Matuidi said in a video released by the team. “I’m excited for this new challenge. My objective is to win trophies with this team and help the team to be better.”
Inter Miami players expressed excitement about Matuidi’s arrival, praising him for his winning track record and the veteran leadership he’ll bring.
“We’re talking about a guy who has literally won everything,” Inter Miami captain and goalkeeper Luis Robles said. “[He’s a] World Cup winner. He’s won league [titles] multiple times, and he’s been on some very talented squads. Everything I’ve heard about him has been so overwhelmingly positive. His experience and leadership coming into our locker room is a huge boost for us. Everyone’s excited. It’s going to be awesome to have a player of his stature. The winning mentality he’ll bring to our group will be massive for us.”
