The detail in Lionel Messi's mate cup that revealed which club is his favourite

Lionel Messi's arrival at Chase Stadium never goes unnoticed. However, this time, the spotlight was not on his movements on the field, but rather on a small detail off the field that stirred up excitement among his followers.

Before the match between Inter Miami and DC United, the Argentine captain was caught on camera alongside Rodrigo De Paul, carrying his traditional matera over his shoulder. What stood out was what was printed on that matera: the crest of Deportivo LSM, the amateur club he shares with his friend Luis Suárez.

Although the accessory could have gone unnoticed, the symbol printed on it reignited the conversation about the project both footballers are promoting in Uruguay. This is a club that currently competes in Divisional D, the lowest tier of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), but it has clear goals: to achieve promotion, develop, and professionalize in the coming years.

The initiative was officially announced at the beginning of this year, when Suárez publicly revealed the creation of the club. He explained that his motivation was to give back to Uruguayan football what it gave him in his childhood. "We want to give real opportunities to kids who don't have them today. Not only in sports, but also in human terms," the forward declared.

On that path, he decided to bring Messi on board as a strategic partner. "We've experienced many things together since we were kids. Today I want to introduce a friend, a teammate, someone with whom I share the same vision of football. And that friend is Leo," Suárez said in the announcement.

Far from limiting himself to a symbolic collaboration, Messi enthusiastically agreed to be an active part of the project. "Luis told me about this dream a while ago. Being invited to be part of it is a tremendous honor. I'm very happy to support him in something so important," the Rosario native said in his welcome message to the club.

The crest on his matera, then, is not a simple ornament: it's a sign of support, belonging, and commitment to an initiative that seeks to make an impact from the grassroots.

For many fans, that detail speaks of a Messi who remains connected to football at its roots. While he shines at the elite level with Inter Miami, he keeps his focus on projects aimed at growth from the ground up, with a South American identity and social projection.