Lionel Messi, decisive scorer for his first game with Miami

And time stopped at 94And minute of the match between Inter Miami and Mexico’s Cruz Azul, on Friday 21 July in Fort Lauderdale (Florida). Lionel Messi had just dropped the ball from a free-kick, thanks to his legendary left paw, into the opponent’s skylight to offer victory (2-1) to his new club, for his first steps in the American franchise’s pink jersey.

The rookie star of the offseason, new ambassador of “soccer” in the United States, could rejoice and start a sort of lap of honor to the applause of an ecstatic audience, the match which will end on this magic trick of which the Argentine has the secret.

Yet Lionel Messi, who came on as a substitute on kick-off, had to wait before making his first appearance. Fans were stamping their feet, asking “Messi! Messi! » from 20And The Argentinian star exulted on the bench when Robert Taylor opened the scoring for the home side with a deflected shot on goal from the post before the break (1-0, 44And).

Read also: Football: Lionel Messi has signed with Inter Miami until 2025

Under the eyes of LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian

It’s later, at 54And minute, that the world champion – who found the number 10 on his club shirt after two crowded seasons with the 30 at Paris Saint-Germain – was able to take his first official steps in the United States, amid the standing ovation of the public. Stars LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian didn’t fail to capture the moment with their smartphones. Sergio Busquets, Messi’s former teammate at FC Barcelona, ​​took advantage of the same interruption to also make his debut for Miami.

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But not everything was perfect before his moment of grace for the former PSG and Barça player, who helplessly watched the return of Cruz Azul, thanks to Antuna’s goal (1-1, 65And).

Then the Argentine, who always calculates his efforts, has often tried to combine with his team-mates, offering particularly good passes. A few minutes after a clear opportunity in which he preferred to give an offside ball rather than risk, Messi was pushed and collected an ideal free kick just meters from the edge of the area.

“What I saw is the goalMessi explained after the match to the Apple TV microphone. I knew I had to score, it was the last action of the match. I wanted to score so as not to 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

“Honestly, as soon as I saw the free kick awarded, I thought it had to end like this”, explained for his part the owner of the club, David Beckham, everything is smiling after the jewel of Messi. ” It’s very emotional tonight for our fans. All these people who come here to see Leo enter the field, not to mention what he has done (…) It is a dream come true for everyone who is in this stadium ”.He added.

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With a streak of eleven games without a win, the Argentine’s arrival has reinvigorated the enthusiasm of the Miami fans. Thousands of pink flags featuring Messi and his number 10 were distributed around the stadium. A small gift that modestly compensated for the hundreds of dollars spent attending the meeting. The cheapest tickets available for resale on Friday morning were displayed at $160 (about €145) on the specialized site Vividseats. The most expensive ones exceeded $8,800, a record for this competition. Inter Miami will face Atlanta on Tuesday in this already unforgettable League Cup.

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The world with AFP

By James Brown

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