Inter Miami and MLS signed Lionel Messi to get the world’s attention. Let’s just say the plan is off to a good start.
After entering a League Cup game against Cruz Azul in the second half, Messi delivered a stoppage-time free-kick goal to give his squad a 2-1 win, Miami’s first win since June 7. The kick was a thing of beauty:
This is what Inter Miami signed up for. A seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, a four-time Champions League winner and maybe the most natural answer for soccer’s greatest player making a splash for a league on the rise. Messi’s cachet was on display before he even touched the ball, as the likes of LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady and Serena Williams were all on hand at DRV PNK Stadium to watch soccer history.
As soon as Messi’s kick hit the net, the online salutes started coming, including from James, and they never really stopped. Messi in the U.S. is already looking like a very big deal:
So happy I saw this live. What a moment. Documentaries will be made about this one day. Feel sorry for people who don’t get or don’t want to admit just how magical this all is pic.twitter.com/vuyZ1ofuH1
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 22, 2023
Not hyperbole: This will be remembered as one of the biggest moments in United States soccer history. It will be replayed forever. People still remember Pele’s first goal at Randall’s Island. It will matter. https://t.co/119kl930cY
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) July 22, 2023
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