Promising Argentine Mateo Silvetti fulfills dream joining Messi at Inter Miami
Children all over the world grow up idolizing Lionel Messi, but for Mateo Silvetti, Inter Miami’s latest signing, his admiration for the Argentine icon is personal.
Silvetti is from Rosario, Messi’s hometown. Like Messi, he fell in love with soccer playing for the local club, Newell’s Old Boys, which he joined as a diminutive 8-year-old and then worked his way up to the first team.
Now, at 19, he is living a dream, sharing a locker room with the legend.
Silvetti, a forward and attacking midfielder, signed with Inter Miami three weeks ago. His contract runs through 2029, with an option for 2030. He arrived at team headquarters in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday morning, trained Monday and was available for Tuesday night’s rematch against the Seattle Sounders.
Although he was not expected to start, as he has not had time to adapt to his new club and league, his arrival comes at a good time with the roster depleted by suspensions and injuries.
“He’s a very serious young man, seems older than he is because of his maturity level,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who coached Silvetti with the Argentine U20 team.
He handled his first Inter Miami media session with poise that belied his youth, seeming at ease in front of microphones and cameras.
“My first encounter with [Messi] was special personally because I am from Rosario and a fan of Newell’s, and he represents so much to Newell’s, so it was an honor from the first time I met him Sunday and we spoke for a while,” Silvetti said.
The opportunity to learn from elite players such as Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Rodrigo De Paul was a big factor in his decision to make the move to Inter Miami.
“It was my goal to come here, continue to grow as a player, take the leap from Argentina and see what level I can reach,” Silvetti said Monday morning in his first interview with the local media. “I am happy to be here with all these important players in a league that is growing a lot. There is a lot I can learn.”
Silvetti made 37 appearances for Newell’s, scoring six goals and providing two assists. He also represented the Argentina U-20 national team, and Mascherano coached him in his three appearances with that squad. He joins the club as part of the MLS U-22 initiative and will wear the same No. 24 shirt he wore with Newell’s.
He has not played a competitive match for three months, as he was recovering from a leg injury, but says he is fully fit and motivated to help the team.
Silvetti will have to learn on the fly as the MLS season is in the final stretch, but he said having worked under Mascherano and most of his coaching staff with the Argentine U20s should make the transition easier. The team also has a heavy Argentine influence with eight fellow countrymen whose careers Silvetti has followed.
“He’s a young player I know, I had him on my squad with the U20s, he’s very intelligent with promising capabilities,” Mascherano said. “I think he will strengthen that position. He can play outside, inside, center forward. He adapts to different situations. He is similar to Tadeo Allende, but maybe with more 1-v-1 tendencies. Most of all, he has a very good head for the game and that is important.”
Inter Miami is back in action Saturday at home against D.C. United (7:30 p.m., Apple TV MLS Season Pass). Tickets are available at intermiamicf.com/tickets
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 1:04 PM.