FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Some folks paid a whole bunch of {dollars} to have the ability to say they have been within the stadium for Lionel Messi’s debut for Inter Miami. Some paid 1000's for his or her seats. The crew’s homeowners dedicated effectively over $100 million simply to have an opportunity at moments like this.

So far, it seems to be like cash effectively spent.

From the you-can’t-make-this-up division, Messi capped the opening evening together with his new membership by delivering the unforgettable. His magical left foot despatched a free kick into the higher left nook of the web within the 94th minute Friday evening, giving Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Mexican membership Cruz Azul in a Legends Cup match.

“What I saw was the goal,” Messi mentioned in an on-field interview amid the postgame celebration. “I saw the goal. I knew that I had to score.”

He makes it sound really easy. Made it look really easy, too.

The sport’s best energetic participant — a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and a World Cup champion — despatched the ball over a wall of 4 Cruz Azul defenders for the profitable purpose, unquestionably the best second in Inter Miami’s transient historical past. Fireworks shot into the evening sky, and play resumed for roughly a minute earlier than the referee’s whistle blew.

Messi was a showman all through. He waved at followers whereas he was seated on the bench. Waved at them whereas he was warming up. Waved at them whereas he was truly within the sport.

And if that wasn’t sufficient, he saved his greatest second for the tip. He watched the ball sail into the web, one thing he’s completed about 800 occasions earlier than for membership and nation, then sprinted to the precise nook of the sector and leaped into the arms of teammates.

The crew’s homeowners — David Beckham, Jorge Mas and Jose Mas — have been ready as he left the pitch; Jorge Mas planted a kiss onto the famous person’s sweat-coated cheek. Some Cruz Azul gamers stood in silence and simply watched; they’ll have a narrative to inform, too, about the way it took an unimaginable Messi second to defeat them.

It took Inter Miami 4 years of planning and two years of precise pursuing to convey Messi to the membership.

“Worth it,” Beckham mentioned earlier within the week.

How proper he was.

Nobody even left their seats when the halftime whistle blew. The purpose: Messi was on the sector. He warmed up for about 5 minutes throughout intermission with the opposite reserves earlier than all of them left for the locker room.

That’s when the followers, lastly, may put their telephones down and take a breath. Temporarily, anyway. The wait was formally on: When was Messi coming in? He resumed warmups whereas the second half was getting beneath approach, jogging round behind the tip line close to Miami’s supporter part, and followers roared in delight when he gave them a wave.

And about eight minutes into the second half, the reply: It was Messi time.

Messi checked in early within the second half with Inter Miami main 1-0. He hugged the participant he was changing, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, then trotted onto the sector because the estimated crowd of 21,000 all gave the impression to be standing, virtually all of them with telephones out to chronicle the second.

Had he missed the free kick, the sport would have gone to a penalty shootout. Instead, Messi ended it on his phrases.

“It was the last play of the game and I wanted to score so I didn’t go to penalties,” Messi mentioned.

The first Inter Miami purpose of the Messi period was scored by Robert Taylor, who took a protracted cross from Robbie Robinson, moved into the field and despatched a low drive off the within of the far submit and into the again of the web for a 1-0 lead late within the first half.

Messi leaped from his seat, threw his arms within the air, applauded a number of occasions and broke into a large smile.

Cruz Azul tied the sport shortly after Messi checked in and had loads of possibilities to take a late lead. But the ultimate act belonged to Messi, a storybook ending if there ever was one.

“It’s common for him, you know,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino mentioned. “It looks absolutely normal, but it’s not … we’re speaking about the GOAT.”

It was a gathering of GOATs at Messi’s debut match: LeBron James and Serena Williams have been there — like Messi in soccer, they’re within the dialog of “greatest of all time” in terms of the NBA and tennis. Music legends Gloria and Emilio Estefan confirmed up, as did Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Kim Kardashian arrived saying considered one of her sons had a specific purpose why he needed to attend.

“He’s so excited to see Messi,” Kardashian mentioned.

Everyone was. James — who is aware of a factor or two about making a extremely celebrated transfer to Miami, after he joined the Heat in 2010 and received his first two NBA titles in a four-year keep — greeted Messi with a protracted embrace because the groups took the sector. And after the purpose, James acknowledged the greatness.

“INCREDIBLE,” James tweeted, with a goat emoji for emphasis.

No matter what, it was an enormous evening for soccer within the U.S. — Messi making his first Major League Soccer look whereas, on the opposite facet of the globe, the U.S. ladies’s crew opened its World Cup title protection in New Zealand in opposition to Vietnam.

Messi signed a 2 1/2-year contract that may pay him between $50 million and $60 million yearly — and virtually actually greater than $1 million per match.

Messi arrived with the crew about two hours earlier than sport time, dressed within the crew colours — pink T-shirt, black shorts. He stopped for a couple of photographs and handshakes as he entered the tunnel resulting in the locker room.

As the match began, Messi took his seat and watched his new crew, within the all-pink jersey, shorts and socks, begin his new period. Almost each seat was stuffed, many by folks sporting newly acquired Miami jerseys with Messi’s identify on the again. They chanted his identify a couple of occasions, waved flags bearing his identify and quantity.

The pleasure saved constructing, all the way in which to the tip. And Messi made certain his new followers went dwelling glad.

“It was very important,” Messi mentioned, “for us to get this win.”

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