“This is the way it’s meant to end” – David Beckham opens up on feelings while watching Lionel Messi score winner on Inter Miami debut

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham jubilantly reacted after Lionel Messi scored a 94th-minute winner on his debut to help the MLS side beat Cruz Azul 2-1 yesterday (July 21).

All eyes were eager for Lionel Messi as the seven-time Ballon d'Or was set to make his debut for Inter Miami on Friday. The 36-year-old was officially unveiled as the club's new signing on July 16 alongside Sergio Busquets.

Inter Miami kicked off their Leagues Cup campaign against Mexican club Cruz Azul at the DRV PNK Stadium. The MLS club took a surprise lead against the run of play in the 44th minute via Robert Taylor. Uriel Antuna equalized for Cruz Azul in the 65th minute.

Lionel Messi was brought on as a second-half substitute for Inter Miami in the 54th minute. Just when the game was heading toward a draw, the Argentine icon scored a brilliant last-minute freekick to give the MLS side the win.

David Beckham believes that Messi's winner was written in the stars following the game. He spoke with MLS Season Pass sideline reporter Katie Witham and said (via MLS' official website):

“To be honest, as soon as I saw the free kick given, I thought: ‘This is the way it’s meant to end. Especially when you’ve got players like Leo and Sergio [Busquets] on the pitch – that’s what they produce."

He added:

"It’s so exciting tonight for our fans. All of these people that have come down here to see Leo just step onto the pitch, let alone just do what he’s done.”

Beckham was spotted in tears, jumping for joy with his family. Speaking about how special the night was for the club, the league and fans, the former Real Madrid star said:

“Tonight is about the people, it's about this. This is what we always saw as our vision, me and Jorge [Mas] and Jose [Mas] and the club. This is what we saw."

He added:

"This is such a special night for us, for our families, for everyone that's in the stadium, for you guys. It is such a moment for this country, it's such a moment for this league. It's a very proud moment for us.”

Inter Miami are currently first in Group J of the Leagues Cup with three points.

---

How did Lionel Messi perform during his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul?

Lionel Messi was the hero yesterday after he scored a 94th-minute free-kick to secure a thrilling 2-1 win for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul. He proved why he is considered one of the GOATs in football once again but let's take a statistical view of how he performed last night:

The Barcelona legend was only on the pitch for 36 minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 54th minute. During this time, he had three total shots with a shot accuracy of 100%.

The Argentine icon made five passes into the final third and had a pass accuracy of 92%. He wrapped up his cameo with a sensational free-kick, placing it into the top-left corner.

Lionel Messi will next feature against Atlanta United in the Leagues Cup group stages on July 25.