It was the dream scenario. Lionel Messi could not have started his adventure with Inter Miami better after leaving PSG at the end of last season. The Argentinian, who came into play in the 54th minute, offered the victory to the Florida franchise with a free kick, in added time, on the night of Saturday to Sunday against Cruz Azul (2-1) in Fort Lauderdale. From 25 meters, the seven-time Ballon d’Or sent the ball into the skylight with a kick of which he has the secret in front of a packed crowd, to allow his team to start the Leagues Cup with a success.
It was from the bench that Messi witnessed his team-mate Robert Taylor’s opener just before the break. While the public, eager to attend his debut, chanted “Messi! Messi!” from the 20th minute of play, the seven-time Ballon d’Or came into play ten minutes after the break, along with Sergio Busquets, his former teammate at Barça, also recruited by Inter Miami this summer. But that did not prevent Mexican club Cruz Azul from equalizing through Antuna (65th).
Messi, who inherited the captain’s armband, took the game on his own along with Busquets to guide his team to victory. Very enterprising but unsuccessful at first, the Argentinian ended up finding the reward for his efforts by obtaining a free kick full axis in added time. With a light strike of which he has the secret, he completed his first at Inter Miami in the most beautiful way by scoring the winning goal in the 94th minute. The first success in 11 matches for the franchise led by David Beckham.
A success in the last minutes that capsized the Fort Lauderdale stadium with happiness. A joy that was already present several hours before kick-off. Thousands of pink flags with Messi and his number ten depicted on them had been distributed around the stadium. A small gift that modestly offset the hundreds of dollars spent to attend the meeting.
In front of LeBron, Serena and Kim Kardashian
The cheapest tickets available for resale on Friday morning were displayed at 160 dollars on the specialized site Vividseats. The most expensive exceeded 8,800 dollars, a record for this competition. The price to pay to see the one who entered the pantheon of football, and sport in general, during his lifetime.
Proof of the enthusiasm aroused by the iconic player, world stars had made the trip to Fort Lauderdale… We were able to see NBA player LeBron James take a selfie with club president David Beckham. Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian, front row, holding out their smartphones as the Argentinian star pulled up his socks before stepping onto the pitch.
The adventure continues on Tuesday in this Leagues Cup for Inter Miami, who will face Atlanta, perhaps with newcomer Jordi Alba. Created in 2019, this competition brings together twenty-nine teams from MLS and eighteen others from the Mexican first division. Formations divided into fifteen groups of three clubs. After two matches, the first two are qualified for the round of 16 and then begins a knockout phase. Cruz Azul was the first winner, the defending champion is Club Leon.