In the early hours of Saturday morning, Lionel Messi made his eagerly-awaited debut for new club Inter Miami. The Argentine last month revealed his intention to sign for the MLS side, and with the move finally being announced last week, it gave him the opportunity to make his debut against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
Having only joined up with his new teammates this week, Messi was not deemed fit enough to start by Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino, meaning that he was forced to start as a substitute. However, he would have his chance to make an impact.
Messi, alongside former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets, was introduced in the 54th minute, and with the score tied at 1-1 with just seconds remaining of added time, Messi scored a spectacular winner in trademark style, curling a free kick into the top corner.
LIONEL ANDRÉS MESSI IS NOT HUMAN. pic.twitter.com/2mBDI41mLy
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 22, 2023
It was an outrageous strike for Messi, and a dream way to get his time at Inter Miami underway. It will also surely deflate Barcelona and their fans a little, and the 36-year-old could’ve been doing it for their club, had he not rejected the chance to come back.
