TL;DR – De Paul’s reunion with Messi in Miami makes room for Johnny Cardoso to bloom at Atletico Madrid.

Messi’s bodyguard count just doubled as Argentinian Enforcer Rodrigo de Paul joins his World Cup teammate in Miami after an illustrious career with Atletico Madrid.

• De Paul will also join former Atletico teammate Luis Suarez down on South Beach
• De Paul’s departure opens lanes for USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who just officially signed with the best team in Madrid yesterday
• Cardoso has been a top target for Argentine coach Diego Simeone after a stand out year with Real Betis following success in Brazil
• Cardoso’s continued rise to stardom coincides perfectly with the 2026 World Cup – hopefully, a year in Madrid will make Johnny the absolute worldie we all know he can be

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