Since Lionel Messi was unveiled by Inter Miami last Sunday, the world has been waiting to see the World Cup champion grace the field. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner made his debut worth the wait, scoring an incredible free-kick goal in the dying moments of the match to clinch victory for Miami. Many celebrities present at the stadium hailed Messi’s greatness but the Argentine has always remained humble and played down his mastery.
It’s the 94th minute of the match, the score is tied 1-1. Lionel Messi is outside the box, gearing up for a free kick. He steps up, slots it into the top corner, and goes on a celebratory run. It’s simply sensational how many times we have seen Messi do this. It’s simply sensational how many times we have seen Messi do this. Luckily for Inter Miami fans, they didn’t have to wait long to see the former Barcelona man perform his magic.
Lionel Messi Plays Down Insane Free Kick Goal against Cruz Azul
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Be it fans or sporting icons like LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and Serena Williams; all on-lookers were simply in awe of the decisive goal. Post-match, when Messi was quipped about the free-kick goal, the Argentinian downplayed it with utmost humility.
Serena Williams was in shock😂 pic.twitter.com/qXw1njG9wn
— Culers Media (@lewyball) July 22, 2023
INCREDIBLE!!!! 🐐 https://t.co/fEhhXSZRAx
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 22, 2023
MESSI'S FIRST GOAL FOR INTER MIAMI AND IT'S A GAME-WINNER 🤯
WHAT A MOMENT
(via @MLS)
pic.twitter.com/SoF9dSrbDY— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 22, 2023
“I just took the last shot like I always do,” explained Messi. He then attributed it to luck that the ball went past the goalie. “I was lucky that it went through, made it to the goal, the goalie couldn’t catch it, and it was a goal.”
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Despite winning the match against Cruz Azul in the League Cup, Inter Miami is ranked a lowly 15th in the MLS standings. Post-match, Messi acknowledged this fact and hoped that this win would get their confidence up. He hoped that this win stirs off a domino effect for them in the league.
“It’s just really awesome to get this first win especially since we haven’t been doing so well in the league,” accepted La Pulga. “It’s important to start winning, even though this is a different tournament. For our confidence, getting a win is really great.”
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It’s simply sensational that even after scoring the winning goal in the dying moments, Messi is still concerned about Miami’s form in the league. Elite Mentality!
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