Lionel Messi’s first Major League Soccer minutes for Inter Miami were well worth the wait.
After declaring his intentions to sign with the team in early June, many fans and pundits alike counted down the minutes until the superstar set foot on the pitch for the Herons. His dazzling display against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup opener was a sight to behold.
The Argentine’s free-kick winner in the 94th minute made headlines around the world. Miami would go on to win the tournament in mid-August off the back of Messi’s performances, beating Nashville SC 10 to 9 on penalties in the final.
However, it wasn’t until late August that the World Cup winner would make his MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls.
Messi’s remarkable football IQ
On August 26th, Inter Miami took on the Red Bulls in a pivotal Eastern Conference playoff match.
At the time, the Herons were still in contention for the postseason, and a win on the road was a must.
Unfortunately, the task would be difficult as their two stars, Messi and Sergio Busquets, would be rested for the first 45 minutes.
Luckily, the South Florida side started off well, with midfielder Diego Gomez scoring in the 37th minute. The Red Bulls tried to fight back, but Inter Miami held on just long enough for Messi and Busquets to join the rest of the team on the field 60 minutes in.
From that point on, Messi took the team’s attack to another level, dictating the tempo and orchestrating the squad. In the 89th minute, his class would show as he would combine with youngster Benjamin Cremaschi for the second goal of the night.
Receiving the ball from a wild pass by Jordi Alba, Messi calmly assessed his options before sliding it through to his young teammate.
Cremaschi subsequently passed the ball back to Messi, who slotted it through to the back of the net.
Aftermath
Though the Argentine has scored better goals in his career, this one against the Red Bulls was special.
It was his first official goal in MLS league play, which will be the first of many.
After the match, Cremaschi spoke about the goal on the Men in Blazers Podcast and discussed what it’s like celebrating with the greatest of all time: “You know, like the best player you’re celebrating a goal, an incredible goal with him. I called my family after and they’re like ‘oh, how was it?’ I was like, I didn’t want to let him go!”