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Lionel Messi donned the mantle of yet another superhero with his Spider-Man-inspired celebration after scoring for Inter Miami in their game against Charlotte. His quirky celebration has taken Twitter by storm, with many fans reacting hilariously.
Inter Miami, showing early promise, took the reins with an early lead as Josef Martinez successfully converted a penalty stroke. This early offense was reinforced by Robert Taylor's goal in the 32nd minute, giving Miami a formidable two-goal advantage as they approached halftime.
Charlotte, however, refused to be spectators in their own demise. Making key changes at the halftime mark, they managed to shift the momentum in their favor, albeit momentarily. The assault on Miami's defense was relentless, though fruitless, as close chances failed to materialize into tangible gains for them.
The match was laid to rest with an own goal, deflected unwittingly off the legs of Adilson Malanda. It virtually extinguished any hopes of a Charlotte FC comeback, as they found themselves 3-0 down in the second half.
The finality of the game, though already decided, was sweetened by Lionel Messi's fourth goal. The Argentine legend got free in the box and hit a cross from Leonardo Campana at point-blank range.
Messi's spectacular performance did more than just secure victory. It breathed life into a superhero celebration tradition that has easily become his own. With celebrations referencing Thor and Black Panther in previous games, the forward opted to reference another Marvel character in Spider-Man.
It saw fans take to social media to react to his latest celebration.
Argentina national team manager watches Lionel Messi play at Inter Miami
Argentina's National Team manager Lionel Scaloni was more than a mere spectator at Inter Miami's face-off against Charlotte FC in the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup. In a candid moment, Scaloni confessed to ESPN (via GOAL) that he had come to watch Lionel Messi play.
"I'm here to watch Leo with my family. I see him very happy here, and when he's happy, he does things differently compared to everyone else," Scaloni said.
It is believed that Scaloni didn't just show up to observe the Argentine legend, as standout 18-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi was also on the field. The youngster has dual nationality with both the Albiceleste and the USA but has not yet chosen where his future lies on the international stage.
Both Lionel Messi and Scaloni, now bonded by their triumphant collaboration in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, are at different junctures in their respective careers. While Messi's commitment is to Inter Miami and the Leagues' Cup. Scaloni has set his gaze firmly on the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Bolivia.
