Lionel Messi made the whole world sit up and take notice as he scored a dramatic last-minute free-kick on his debut for Inter Miami to earn his side victory against Cruz Azul.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham looked close to tears when he did a TV interview on the pitch afterwards. You could not imagine a better script. And it will make headlines across the globe because this is Messi.
The greatest player in the world can still produce unforgettable moments of sheer quality.
Messi lifted a team which could not buy a win to victory with his incredible talent and then provided the perfect end to one of the biggest nights in MLS history.
The player who won it all for Barcelona, lifted the World Cup and is now on one final adventure – and is clearly still determined to make his mark.
They had turned up in great numbers, queuing up for Messi shirts hours before kick-off with tickets changing hands on websites for more than £1,000 each.
LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian were at the DRV PNK Stadium for a who’s-who of sports and showbiz. They came to see the legend – and were not disappointed.
Messi, 36, started the match on the bench but that almost did not matter because it was all about the banners, everyone wearing pink shirts and the anticipation.
And it was a genuine ‘I was there’ moment when Messi came on in the 54th minute as a substitute for Benjamin Cremaschi.
His every touch was greeted with huge cheers and excitement as almost immediately he lifted Inter Miami and went on those darting, mesmerising runs which made him the best player in the world.
Inter Miami had not won in six games in all competitions, they are rock bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference and, even after Messi came on, it is obvious they are a team short of confidence and quality.
Inter Miami were lucky to go ahead against Mexican side Crus Azul in their opening Leagues Cup match.
Mexico star Uriel Antuna scored an equaliser for Cruz Azul in the second half. And time was running down, Inter Miami had run out of ideas and not even Messi could find a way through.
Then Messi was brought down on the edge of the box in injury time. Messi grabbed the ball, lined up the free kick and whipped it up and over the wall and into the top corner.
The stadium went wild, the fireworks started and the night ended in glory for Messi in the most incredible fashion.
It earned Inter Miami a 2-1 win, and Beckham looked close to tears in the stands.
When the goal went in, footage showed him jumping up in celebration with a beaming smile as he embraced his wife, Victoria.
When the elation died down and the final whistle went, that joy turned to pure emotion as he seemed to be fighting back tears.
The former England international shook his head in disbelief and was visibly emotional.
It was a moment that summed up just how much it means to him to have arguably the greatest player of all-time playing for his MLS franchise, 16 years after his own landmark move to America.
Speaking after the game on Apple TV, Beckham said: ‘It’s terrible watching these games. As an ex-player, you get frustrated. As a player, you can do something about it if you’re losing, when you’re an owner, you can’t.
‘But tonight is about the people. It’s about this. This is what we always saw as our vision, me and Jorge and Jose and the club, this is what we saw.
‘So this is such a special night for us, for our families, for everyone that’s in this stadium, for you guys. It is such a moment for this country. It’s such a moment for this league. And it’s a very proud moment for us.’
Messi was also interviewed on Apple TV, via a translator, after the game, and his comments summed him up as he explained how he knew it was down to him to win his side the game.
‘What I saw was the goal. I saw the goal, I knew I had to score. It was the last play of the game, and I wanted to score so we didn’t go to penalties,’ Messi said.
‘It was very important for us to get this win because in the tournament it’s going to give us confidence moving forward.’
