Messi scores the winning goal in stoppage time in his debut for Inter Miami

Jul 21 (Reuters) – Lionel Messi made his debut for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, scoring a stoppage-time goal to defeat La Liga’s Cruz Azul 2-1 on Friday in the League Cup opener in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Messi made a foul 25 yards from goal in the dying seconds and stepped up for what everyone could see when his free kick curled into the top left corner sending the crowd into a state of delirium.

After the goal, Messi ran towards the right corner of the pitch with his arms spread wide and then headed to the sidelines on the other side where he shared a hug with his family.

“I knew I had to score,” Messi said in a broadcast through a translator. “It was the last game of the game and I had to score, so we didn’t go to penalties.”

“It was very important for us to get this win because it is a new tournament and it will give us confidence to move forward.”

With four-time NBA champion LeBron James, tennis player Serena Williams, and reality TV star Kim Kardashian among the sold-out crowd, Messi entered the game as a second-half substitute to a standing ovation with Miami leading 1-0.

Messi was introduced as the ‘number 10 in the world’ when he entered the match in the 54th minute, placing the captain’s armband on his left arm and sending the crowd into a frenzy whenever he touched the ball.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner didn’t take long to make his presence felt as he evaded some Cruz Azul defenders and led an attack down the right flank, one of several chances he created that night.

‘A dream come true’

At some point, Messi collided with Cruz Azul player in the penalty area and fell to the ground, and while his team and his supporters wanted a penalty kick, the referee immediately shook his finger, depriving the Argentine of the opportunity to take a penalty kick.

The 36-year-old then set up what appeared to be the winning goal in the 89th minute but Martinez, who looped the ball into the net, was offside.

But Messi, seven months after banishing Argentina from glory at the World Cup in Qatar, got his chance to shine again.

“As soon as I saw the free kick, I thought this is how it’s supposed to end,” said David Beckham, one of the owners of Inter Miami. “It’s a very exciting night for our fans. All these people who came here to see Leo step onto the pitch, let alone do what he did.

“It’s a dream come true for everyone in this stadium and everyone across this country to see Leo step into Major League Soccer and perform and I don’t have many words for that.”

Messi’s coincidental Miami debut came 16 years to the day Beckham made his debut for the MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy.

Euphoria over Messi’s arrival in South Florida has reached a crescendo as restaurants offer food and drink options named after him while murals depicting his likeness have popped up all over Miami.

It’s been a whirlwind week for Messi, whose arrival in MLS has been a major boost to soccer’s profile in the United States, which will host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada.

Messi’s two-and-a-half-year contract with Miami became official last Saturday. A day later, he was introduced to the club’s supporters in a grand welcome party, and on Tuesday he took part in his first full training session with the club.

Inter Miami wrapped up the two-legged group stage on Tuesday when they host Atlanta United in hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the League Cup, a World Cup-style tournament featuring all teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.

Reporting by Frank Bing in Toronto; Editing by Stephen Coates

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