Yesterday was all about Lando Norris at the Miami GP. The British Belgian racer dominated headlines for his first-ever victory in F1 after over 110 starts. But before the roar of engines filled the Miami International Autodrome, someone else remained the talking point other than all the racers: none other than Lionel Messi, as a few gathered to pay homage to the Inter Miami star.
Big names came to witness the enthralling race, especially from the soccer world. Firstly, David Beckham‘s fellow Inter Miami co-owner, Jorge Mas, was seen heading to the stands. In a video shared by reporter José Armando on X, Mas, who came to support Team Red Bull for the race, was asked about Messi’s performance against the New York Red Bulls. Interestingly, the Herons’ owner replied, “Extraordinary, spectacular.” But the praise for the Argentine superstar didn’t end there.
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Armando again shared a video on X, where this time, the exact same question was asked of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to which the reply came, “Fantastic, phenomenal.” Even though it was an F1 event, the name Lionel Messi couldn’t stop from making its way to a cross-sport event. The World Cup winner’s remarkable performance, where he racked up five assists to aid Luis Suarez with a hattrick and a goal to lead Tata Martino and Co. clinch a 6-2 victory against the NY side, seemed to have left an indelible mark on both Jorge Mas and Gianni Infantino.
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In fact, La Pulga even etched his name in the history books by breaking a few remarkable records. Meanwhile, before the race, Messi also left his owner, David Beckham, in awe of his performance, who failed to make an appearance at the Miami Grand Prix.
David Beckham was thrilled with the heroics of Lionel Messi for Inter Miami
The former England international celebrated his side’s triumph by sharing a clip of all the goals on Instagram, adding a caption: “What a night in Miami 🔥 Another record broken 👏🏼 5 assists @leomessi @intermiamicf & a Hat-trick for our #9 luissuarez9 🩷🩷.” Had David Beckham made his way to the race, we surely would have heard similar praise from him regarding Messi, akin to what Jorge Mas and Gianni Infantino expressed.
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Unfortunately, the Manchester United icon was in London on the occasion of his belated birthday, leading him to miss the Miami Grand Prix for the second consecutive year. Yet, that didn’t stop him from congratulating his countryman, Lando Norris, for his maiden victory and also ending McLaren’s 12-year exile in the United States. Either way, we are sure the memory of Messi’s remarkable performance remains eternal.