Benjamin Cremaschi is of Argentine origin but was born and raised in Key Biscayne. ‘Benja’, as he is usually called, is the one who scored the game-tying goal and then the winning penalty kick in Inter Miami’s game against Dallas in the Leagues Cup
‘Benja’ became the fifth Inter Miami Academy player to be signed by the First Team as a home-trained player.
His career as a soccer player began in 2021 when he joined the Inter Miami CF Academy and quickly rose to the official team.
In 2022 he had a great performance in the Under-17s and ended up leading the team to the semi-finals of the Generation Adidas Cup, which led him to earn a place in the MLS NEXT team.
Benjamin comes from a sporting family, as his father, Pablo, achieved international recognition as a professional rugby player for Argentina.
At just 18 years old, ‘Benja’ is playing exceptionally well and making a noticeable difference on the pitch.
The game last August 6, Inter Miami against FC Dallas, was 2-1 down, and Inter Miami fans were beginning to lose hope, but Cremaschi appeared to level the score.
‘Benja’ entered the game around minute 60, and at minute 64′, he scored a goal. Less than 5 minutes on the pitch, and Cremaschi had already made a difference in the match.
“Obviously it’s exciting, as soon as I came on I had a lot of energy and I tried to change the game, I tried to make the difference and I was lucky to score a goal,” Cremaschi said in an interview with Apple TV, at the end of the game.
Cremaschi has raised his level of play in recent games, being a necessary assist for his teammates, including Messi. In this last game, ‘Benja’ showed his potential and talent.
The match ended in a draw, taking the confrontation to penalties. Benjamin was chosen as the fifth player to take the penalty shot.
“On penalties, when they gave me the fifth penalty, I knew where I was going, I knew how I was going to take it, and I just trusted what I can do,” Cremaschi said.
‘Benja’ mentions how this club has grown in recent months and how they have changed their mentality.
“We are ready to fight until the last second, especially with the quality players that we have now, we know that we may be losing by several goals but we still come back in a matter of seconds,” Cremaschi said. “We believe in what we can do and we believe that we can always get a win.”
For Cremaschi, playing alongside Messi must be very special, due to his Argentine ancestry.
“I never tire of talking about him, and I never will, it’s incredible what he can do,” Cremaschi said of Messi.
Cremaschi’s presence on the team fills Miami with pride. His journey from humble local beginnings to success in professional soccer proves that big dreams can come true close to home, inspiring youngsters to pursue their goals with determination.
There are likely young athletes who admire Cremaschi and aspire to be like him one day, just as he admires Messi and now finds himself playing alongside him.
