With his introduction in the second half of the Herons’ Leagues Cup victory over Orlando City in the Round of 32, former Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba donned the pink, white, and black uniform of Inter Miami for the first time ever.

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The 34-year-old replaced 19-year-old defender Noah Allen with Inter Miami leading 2-1 in the 64th minute. He was introduced to the crowd before the game on Wednesday night at DRV PNK Stadium.

As he shared the field with Sergio Busquets, another well-known player who recently relocated to Florida from Barcelona, his first pass of the game naturally went to teammate Lionel Messi.

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Eight minutes after Alba entered the game, Miami scored a third goal to increase the deficit to two goals.

Prior to Messi leaving Camp Nou for PSG’s Parc des Princes on a free transfer two years ago, Alba and Messi spent nine years (2012–2021) playing together at Barcelona.

The fullback spent 11 years playing alongside Busquets after moving to Catalonia from Valencia in 2012.

Alba spent a total of 11 seasons at Barcelona, where he contributed to six La Liga championships and the Champions League triumph (in 2014–15).

He began his playing career as a left winger in the La Masia youth ranks, but the club discharged him in 2005 due to his size.

Later, he joined the nearby team, Cornella. After almost two years there, he transferred for €6,000 to Valencia, where he made his professional debut in 2012. He returned to Barcelona three years later.

Alba, a player recognized for his speed, finished his career with 107 assists and 37 goals in 605 games played in all competitions.

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In a statement following Miami’s announcement of the player’s arrival last month, club sporting director Chris Henderson said, “Jordi is an accomplished, dynamic, and experienced player that we are excited to acquire to continue bolstering our squad.”

Due to both his defensive sturdiness and ability to assist in the attack, he has demonstrated for more than a decade that he is one of the top fullbacks in the sport.

Additionally, Alba played 93 times for Spain at the international level and netted 9 goals.

He was a member of the La Roja team that won Euro 2012, although he wasn’t included in the final 23 players that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Additionally, Alba represented Spain at the Euro 2016 and 2020 Championships, as well as the World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.