Another former Messi teammate set to join Inter Miami to bolster squad for MLS playoffs

Another former teammate of Lionel Messi’s is set to join Inter Miami as the Supporters Shield leaders prepare for the final stretch of the season and the MLS playoffs.

Oscar Ustari, a 38-year-old Argentine goalkeeper who has played in South America, Europe and Mexico, is finalizing a short-term contract to back up Inter Miami starting keeper Drake Callender, ESPN reported and a league source confirmed.

CJ dos Santos was Miami’s reserve goalkeeper this season, but he recently underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand and is out indefinitely, so Ustari steps in with decades of experience.

He was a free agent after being released by Chilean first-division team Audaz Italiano.

Messi and Ustari go back to their days on Argentina youth teams. They played together on the team that won the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands in 2005. Messi was the top scorer. They also were teammates on Argentina’s Under-23 team that won gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and on Argentina’s 2006 World Cup team.

Ustari began his career in Argentina with Independiente and in 2007 signed with Spanish club Getafe, where he made 41 appearances through 2012. He then went back to Argentina, played for Boca Juniors, returned to Spain to play one season with Almeria, and from there went to England to play a season for Sunderland.

In recent years he had stints with Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina, Liverpool Montevideo in Uruguay, and Atlas and Pachuca in Mexico. He represented Liga MX in the 2022 MLS All-Star Game in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Inter Miami, which has already clinched a playoff spot, resumes the MLS season Sept. 14 after the FIFA international break with a home game against the Philadelphia Union. Messi will likely make his return after a two-month layoff due to a right ankle injury. He returned to full training a few weeks ago but was held out of the road game at Chicago with hopes he will be ready for the Philadelphia game, according to coach Tata Martino.