And time stopped in the 94th minute of the match between Inter Miami and Mexicans Cruz Azul, Friday, July 21 in Fort Lauderdale (Florida). Lionel Messi had just dropped the ball from a free kick, thanks to his legendary left paw, in the opposing skylight to offer victory (2-1) to his new club, taking his first steps in the pink jersey of the American franchise.
The star rookie of the offseason, new ambassador of soccer in the United States, could jubilate and start a kind of lap of honor under the cheers of an ecstatic public, the match ending on this magic trick of which the Argentinian has the secret.
And yet Lionel Messi, substitute at kick-off, had to wait before making his first appearance. Fans were stamping their feet, asking “Messi!” Messi! From the 20th minute of the game. The Argentine star exulted on the bench when Robert Taylor opened the scoring for the locals with a shot deflected into the goal by the post, before the break (1-0, 44th).
Under the eyes of LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian
It was later, in the 54th minute, that the world champion – who found the number 10 on his club jersey after two seasons flocked with the 30 at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) – was able to make his first official strides in the United States, to a standing ovation from the public. The stars LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian did not fail to immortalize the moment with their smartphone. Sergio Busquets, Messi’s former teammate at FC Barcelona, ??took advantage of the same stoppage to also make his debut with Miami.
But everything was not perfect before his moment of grace for the former PSG and Barça player, who watched helplessly as Cruz Azul returned, thanks to the goal of Uriel Antuna (1-1, 65th).
Then the Argentinian, who always calculates his efforts, has often tried to team up with his partners, notably offering beautiful passes through. Minutes after a clean-scoring chance where he preferred to give an offside ball than take a chance, Messi was pushed around and collected an ideal free-kick just yards from the edge of the box.
“What I watched was the goal,” Messi said after the match on Apple TV. I knew I had to score, it was the last action of the game. I wanted to score so that we didn’t go to penalties afterwards. It was very important for us to get this victory, it’s a new tournament, it will give us confidence for the future. »
Tickets at record prices
“To be honest, as soon as I saw the free kick awarded, I thought this was how it had to end,” said club owner David Beckham, all smiles after Messi’s jewel. “It’s very exciting tonight for our supporters. All these people who come here to see Leo enter the field, not to mention what he has done (…). It’s a dream come true for anyone at this stage,” he added.
With an eleven-game winless streak, the Argentine’s arrival has reignited the enthusiasm of Miami fans. Thousands of pink flags with Messi and his number 10 depicted on them were distributed around the stadium. A small gift that modestly offset the hundreds of dollars spent to attend the meeting. The cheapest tickets available for resale on Friday morning were displayed at 160 dollars (about 145 euros) on the specialized site Vivid Seats. The most expensive exceeded 8,800 dollars, a record for this competition. Inter Miami will face Atlanta on Tuesday in this already unforgettable Leagues Cup.
