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Serena Williams and LeBron James were among the household celebrity names spotted recording Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut. The Argentina captain played his first match for the American club against Liga MX outfit Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup showdown.
Messi scored a sensational 94th-minute winner to help his new team secure the win after coming on as a 54th-minute substitute. The score was 1-0 for Inter Miami when Messi was subbed on.
Several stars from various sports, like tennis legend Serena Williams, basketball sensation LeBron James and reality star Kim Kardashian were among the attendees at the DRV PNK Stadium.
Messi didn't disappoint the visitors as he gave fans a flash of his brilliance with his spectacular free-kick from just outside the box. Even the big stars were left starstruck as they channeled their inner fans by recording Messi taking the field. Images of the same have since surfaced on social media.
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Apart from Lionel Messi, his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets also made his debut for the club. Messi, though, is already providing the club what he was signed for, which is making meaningful contributions to help the team win the league.
Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov spoke about Lionel Messi's Inter Miami move
Lionel Messi had offers from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and also a return to Barcelona was on the cards as he looked set to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.
The Argentina captain, though, turned down lucrative offers from the Saudis to join the MLS. Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoichkov, who previously represented Barcelona, has now spoken about the move, telling (via GOAL):
"We didn't play for money. We played for love. This shows greatness. It didn't matter to me to know my salary or the bonuses. For me, it was more important to play and that people value me. The agents take care of the other things. Messi comes to compete and play, and he doesn't care about money because he loves football."
Lionel Messi's star power is undeniable and the same was already on display when the 36-year-old made his debut against Cruz Azul. After such an electric debut, fans will keep a keen eye on how things turn out moving forward in his Inter Miami career.
