Hilarious clip shows injured Inter Miami defender Ian Fray dancing on crutches while Lionel Messi’s team celebrates Leagues Cup victory with victory over Nashville
Hilarious Clip Shows Injured Inter Miami Defender Ian Fray Dancing On Crutches As Lionel Messi’s Team Celebrate Leagues Cup Victory With A Win Over Nashville
Hilarious footage of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup final victory shows injured defender Ian Fray joining his teammates in post-match festivities and dancing on crutches just weeks after Lionel Messi handed him a winning goal commissioned.
After the Herons defeated Nashville SC in an unusually long penalty shootout on Saturday night, the 21-year-old center back took the field at Geodis Park to celebrate the club’s first-ever trophy in its five-year history.
He joined his teammates in a group after talking to a member of Inter Miami’s medical staff and jumped on one leg while raising both crutches in the air.
The defender, who is considered a hometown player, suffered a third ACL injury in three years on July 21 during Inter Miami’s opening Leagues Cup game, which also marked Messi’s debut for the club, against La Cruz Azul of La Liga. League MX.
Messi was interviewed after scoring a free-kick in the final opening to give his new team a 2-1 win, and wished Fray a speedy recovery in his post-match comments at the time.
Ian Fray celebrated Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup final victory by raising both crutches
Lionel Messi, 36, wished Fray a speedy recovery earlier in the US National Cup
Fray, 20, has suffered three ACL tears in three years after coming through Miami’s youth ranks
In the 26th minute of the game, Fray went down without contact and eventually left the field in tears.
The Florida-born player previously tore his ACL twice, including just a month into his pro career in 2021 and during the 2022 pre-season, ending his second season with Inter Miami’s senior team prematurely after graduating from the club’s academy .
“Let me dedicate this win to Ian Fray, who suffered in the dressing room from the injury he sustained,” Messi said after last month’s win over Cruz Azul in the group stage.
“He is (returning) from two serious injuries and today he is unlucky enough to get another injury.”
Fray tore his cruciate ligament for a third time during Messi’s debut for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul on July 21
At the time, Messi’s exploits ended Miami’s seven-loss streak, but Frey’s injury was also a concern.
The defender had become a regular in the first team after recovering from his second ACL injury, but now has to rehabilitate for the third and hopefully final time.
Fray is eligible to represent the US men’s national team – the country of his birth and upbringing – or Jamaica, through his parents.
Messi, 36, is expected to take part in the US Open Cup semi-final in Miami against Cincinnati on Wednesday, before finally making his MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls three days later on Saturday, August 26.