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Lionel Messi made his Inter Miami debut in style as the Argentina captain scored a 94th-minute free-kick winner to give his team a 2-1 win against Liga MX side Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup clash on Friday (July 21).
The 36-year-old sent fans into a frenzy with his dream debut for his new club. After scoring the winner, Messi ran into his kids, who were sitting pitchside, to celebrate the win.
Here's the video of his dramatic injury-time winner off a free-kick followed by his celebration with family:
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Messi came on as a 54th-minute substitute alongside his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. Inter Miami were leading 1-0, but Cruz equalised 11 minutes later.
Lionel Messi, though, saved a piece of magic for the last to introduce himself to US football fans. He scored a spectacular free-kick from outside the box in additional time to seal a dramatic win for Inter Miami.
Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has predicted Lionel Messi to help the MLS get bigger
Lionel Messi is already making a mark in the MLS after playing only close to 40 minutes for Inter Miami. His sensational free-kick winner has gone viral.
These moments are bound to elevate the standard of US football and that of the MLS. Inter Miami's billionaire co-owner, Jorge Mas, predicted just that to happen when the club announced Messi's signing.
Speaking about the impact Messi is going to make in the MLS, Mas told El Pais:
“In 2019, we started thinking about how we could bring him (to the club). Messi can turn MLS into the second or third best league in the world. I think he will want to make his mark, and he will be able to do it beyond football.”
While the MLS has a long way to go for Mas' prediction to come true, Messi's presence is garnering eyeballs.
World-famous celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams attended the MLS club's game against Cruz Azul. The league is bound to get popular if the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Messi continues to operate at a high level.
