Jimmy Hoover has been playing soccer since he was 7 years old, and for most of that time, Lionel Messi has been his favorite player. This week, the teenager finally got to sit in the stands at Nu Stadium and watch his idol train in person, one of 23 children with critical illnesses brought together by Make-A-Wish and Inter Miami for a multi-day experience with the defending MLS champions.
Hoover was diagnosed with cancer and endured months of chemotherapy, according to WPTV. Even during treatment, he kept showing up for his teammates every day, though he admitted it was difficult to keep pace with them. Last July, he rang the bell marking his cancer's remission, a milestone that set the stage for this week's reunion with the game he never stopped loving.
A Day Alongside the Champions
The gathering was part of a recurring partnership between Inter Miami CF, Royal Caribbean and Make-A-Wish, now in its third year. According to a release carried by Our Sports Central, the multi-day experience ran from Monday to Wednesday and included a day at Nu Stadium, where the children interacted with players including Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul, Casemiro, Ian Fray and Yannick Bright. Each child also received a mock Inter Miami CF player contract presented by Sporting Director Alberto Marrero, and the group was given a private shopping experience at the club's official store to pick out gear to take home.
The station's report notes that the kids signed on to join the team for the day, got a jersey, and watched practice up close. The children came from around the country for the chance to spend time with the club. Fray, an Inter Miami defender, said children facing hardship show resilience that can encourage others to keep pushing forward.
'I Was Excited, Shocked'
For Hoover, watching Messi and the rest of the squad train felt almost unreal. He told the station he was excited, shocked and unsure what to do with himself in the moment, and said he remained somewhat shocked by the whole experience even afterward. Meeting the players and getting the chance to interview them, he said, had been a great experience.
Another participant, Yulissa Morales Melendrez, said she was very happy and began crying as she took in the day. Make-A-Wish and Inter Miami helped arrange the gathering for all 23 children, giving each a chance to watch practice, collect a jersey and spend time with a roster that has become one of the league's biggest draws.
Part of a Growing Tradition
This year's gathering builds on two earlier editions of the program. In 2025, Inter Miami and Royal Caribbean brought 23 Make-A-Wish children together for a four-day experience, according to Inter Miami CF's own announcement, with each child receiving a team-signed personalized jersey and making a debut as an honorary Inter Miami player on the field alongside Messi. A year earlier, in September 2024, the club hosted another four-day experience that included a private Inter Miami practice at Chase Stadium followed by a meet-and-greet, as reported by USA Today. Across all three editions, Inter Miami CF and Royal Caribbean have now helped grant 77 wishes through Make-A-Wish.
The timing adds extra weight to this year's visit. Inter Miami enters the event as reigning league champions after beating Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 in the 2025 MLS Cup, a match in which Messi assisted both second-half goals, according to MLS Soccer. The win delivered the club its first Philip F. Anschutz Trophy and made Inter Miami the 16th team in league history to claim the MLS Cup. For Hoover and the other 22 children who made the trip, that championship pedigree only sharpened the thrill of standing on the same field as the players they had watched from home.
