“Let you drive you crazy dwarf” - Angel Di Maria in awe of Lionel Messi’s stunning form for Inter Miami

Angel Di Maria has been left highly impressed by Argentina teammate Lionel Messi's stunning start to life at Inter Miami.

Messi, 36, arrived in Miami on a free transfer this summer after a two-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain. He has hit the ground running at the American club, scoring in all but one of his nine games across competitions.

Coming on as a 60th-minute substitute on his MLS debut at New York Red Bulls on Saturday (August 26), the Argentine magician wowed the New York crowd with his brilliance.

With his team already in the ascendancy - leading by a 37th-minute Diego Gomez strike - Messi played a brilliant one-two with his Herons teammate Benjamin Cremaschi and tapped into an empty net after the stunning move.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner picked out Cremaschi with an out-of-the-world pass through a crowded Red Bulls defense. The latter sent across a square ball, which Messi made no mistake burying into the back of the net to confirm Miami's win.

That strike took the Barcelona legend's tally to 10 goals in nine games across competitions for Inter Miami. In the process, the Herons snapped an 11-game winless run in the MLS to move off the foot of the table - two points above Toronto and with three games to spare.

Messi shared his goal on Instagram, to which Di Maria replied (as translated from Spanish):

"Let you drive you crazy dwarf."

Here's a screenshot of the Benfica man's message on his compatriot's Instagram post:

Screenshot of Di Maria's message on Messi's Instagram post

Messi and Co. next take on Nashville at home in the MLS on Wednesday (August 30) in a rematch of the 2023 Leagues Cup final. The Herons won that game on penalties to claim their first title in their short five-year history.

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Lionel Messi to miss at least three games due to international duty - Inter Miami boss Tata Martino

Lionel Messi has hit the ground running at Miami.

Lionel Messi has made a surreal start to his Inter Miami career. Since scoring on his club debut with a sumptuous 94th-minute free-kick winner against Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup clash, the Argentine has started all but one game.

Coming off the bench for the first time in eight games, Messi made a telling impact against New York. However, Herons boss Tata Martino knows that he cannot call on the Argentine for every game, considering his international commitments.

Urging his team to reduce their dependency on Lionel Messi, who is expected to miss 'at least three games this year, the former Barcelona manager told Miami's website:

"We put a lot of value in this win because this (playing with a rotation) is something we need to get used to because Leo is going to join his national team. He'll miss at least three games this year, and next year, it will be the same, and we need to understand that when he's not here, the team still needs to provide results."

Messi's Argentina will be in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying action next month - Ecuador (September 7) and Bolivia (September 12).