Marcelo “Chelo” Weigandt all smiles playing along boyhood idol Messi at Inter Miami
Marcelo “Chelo” Weigandt, a fearless and ferocious Inter Miami defender, is one of the team’s warmest, most thoughtful, soft-spoken players away from the field. The 24-year-old Argentine has rarely been seen without a smile on his face since he joined the club from Boca Juniors in late-March.
He was especially joyful Tuesday night during an open training session in front of season ticket holders at Chase Stadium. Fans of all ages, but especially children, screamed for Lionel Messi and his teammates as they prepared for the road game Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Weigandt said the scene brought back memories of his childhood in Monte Chingolo, a Buenos Aires town, where he played youth soccer for Villa Ideal and waited in the parking lot outside Boca Juniors training sessions in hopes of getting photos of his favorite players.
He never imagined back then that he would wind up playing for Boca Juniors or, even more unlikely, playing alongside his boyhood idol Lionel Messi in the United States.
Asked what advice he would give for the young Inter Miami fans who dream of playing professional soccer someday, Weigandt broke into a huge grin and said:
“I’m not really one to offer advice, but I’m a kid who worked very hard, along with my mother, father and sister. I went through tough moments when I considered throwing in the towel, you think the burden is too much, from the sacrifice my parents were making, my mother taking me to every practice, every game, while my dad was working 12 hours a day so I could fulfill my dream…”
At that point, Weigandt’s voice trailed, and he got a bit teary eyed.
Weigandt’s father, a pharmaceutical salesman, was 17 years old when he lost his mother. She was 57 at the time. Marcelo, who was born less than a year later, never got to meet her, but he feels inspired by her spirit and wears 57 in her memory. His father, who was a teenager when he became head of the household, toiled to give Marcelo and his sister the lives his mother would have wanted for them.
“I feel she is with me every step I take, and every decision I make,” Weigandt said. “It’s extraordinary for me to wear that number.”
As for the advice for kids, Weigandt added: “It’s a long journey, but you can never stop working. That’s true for children and adults. Sometimes you face tough moments in life, but you must keep rowing.
“For me to see these kids today at our training, there to see Messi, and for me to be playing alongside him makes me very happy. It’s incredible what I am living and I enjoy it every single day, always with a smile. So, I would tell those kids to keep working toward their dreams. Everything is possible.”
Before joining Inter Miami, Weigandt made 72 appearances for Boca Juniors, including 15 in the Copa Libertadores, registering three goals and seven assists. During that time the right back helped Boca win five titles: two Argentine First Division titles (2020, 2022), a Copa de la Liga Profesional title (2022), a Supercopa de Argentina title (2022), and a Copa Argentina title (2019-20).
He renewed his contract with Boca Juniors until December 2027 and the club is loaning him to Miami for two seasons. He replaced DeAndre Yedlin, who was traded to FC Cincinnati.
“Since I arrived, I feel very good; my teammates and coaches supported me and gave me confidence, and I have been improving day by day,” he said.
The back line had some shaky moments as players got accustomed to each other, but recorded back to back shutouts the past two games to help keep Inter Miami in first place in the Eastern Conference and atop the Supporters Shield race.
Messi’s presence alone inspires the entire team, Weigandt said.
“It shows in every game that we come out with a different energy with Messi, it’s incredible,” he said. “You always say you’ll give 100 percent, but that is not enough here. You want to give 110 percent or 120 because every game is like a final for us; the opponent always wants to beat us and they player harder because Messi is on the other side. For us, it’s an honor to play with him, as well as (Luis) Suarez, (Sergio) Busquets, Jordi (Alba). Day after they demonstrate their humility, their respect for everyone, and we try to follow their lead.”
This story was originally published May 22, 2024 at 3:05 PM.