Messi’s New Bodyguard? Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul Joins Inter Miami

You can call Rodrigo De Paul “El Motorcito.” Or, perhaps Lionel Messi’s “bodyguard.” Either way, you can call him Inter Miami’s newest player.

The 31-year-old star is officially Messi’s club teammate after Inter Miami announced De Paul’s arrival on Friday. It’s a reunion for the two Argentina stars who led the Albiceleste to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar. 

De Paul arrives on an initial loan from Atlético Madrid until the end of the 2025 season, with an option to make the transfer permanent through the 2029 MLS season. He had 187 appearances for Atlético, scoring 14 goals as a defensive midfielder, but did not win silveware with the team. 

A tenacious midfielder who became a trademark enforcer of sorts on opponents following hard fouls on Messi, De Paul is expected to provide the same sort of physical play at Inter Miami. Along with the 2022 World Cup crown, De Paul and Messi have won two Copa América titles (2021, 2024).

“What brings me to Inter Miami is the desire to compete, win titles, to write the pages in the club’s history,” De Paul said. “It’s a club that is shaping up to be great, to have a long history, so that many people follow this incredible team.”

The arrival of De Paul also put an additional spotlight on Miami’s roster compliance rules. Each MLS team is allowed to have three Designated Players on its roster. Those players are paid outside of each teams’ salary cap structure. With Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba taking up Miami’s DP slots, De Paul – who reportedly made upwards of $12 million at Atlético – will instead play this season on loan. 

According to ESPN, De Paul will be paid $1.5 million for the rest of this season before earning $12 million per season starting in 2026. Busquets is out of a contract at the end of the season. De Paul would likely take over the DP slot for next season, although it remains to be seen if Busquets (who reportedly makes $8.7 million) would remain in Miami on a lower-paying deal.

Earlier this summer, the MLS Players Association published the salaries of all players. Not surprisingly, Messi led the league with a total annual compensation of $20.4 million — greater than the entire payroll of 21 teams. Alba earns $6 million. 

Inter Miami’s next game is Saturday against FC Cincinnati, although Messi and Alba won’t be playing that game. The duo were suspended due to not attending the MLS All-Star Game in Austin earlier this week. MLS rules state that any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to play in the next match.