Beckham choked on Messi's masterpiece
Messi entered the field from the 54th minute of the match on July 21, local time, and made the DRV PNK stadium with nearly 21,000 spectators packed in the stands like exploding in excitement in the third minute of compensation. Inter Miami is awarded a free kick 23 yards from goal. Messi kicked his forte, brought the ball to the high corner, out of reach of goalkeeper Andres Gudino, sealed a breathtaking 2-1 victory.
After Messi scored, fireworks exploded around the DRV PNK stadium and the audience celebrated enthusiastically. The owner of the seven Golden Balls ran to the right corner to celebrate with his new teammates, then ran to the opposite yard to hug his family. Nearby, Beckham moved back to hug his wife Victoria. The British player choked and almost burst into tears. Tennis legend Serena Williams shouted, while reality TV star Kim Kardashian admired the Inter Miami striker's masterpiece.
"This is what we've always dreamed of in our vision, me, Jorge, Jose Mas and the club," co-owner Beckham told Apple TV+. "This is a special night for us, our family, for everyone on the field. What a great moment for America, the tournament, and a proud moment for us."
Before the super kick that decided the match, even though he only kicked for nearly 40 minutes, Messi still showed his class through impressive statistics. The Argentine striker has three shots on target with two shots on target, touches the ball 35 times, passes with 92% accuracy and has a key pass.
"It's a movie that we've seen. Messi is always on the field to write movies like that," Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said at the post-match press conference. "Messi makes it look completely normal, but it's not. We're talking about the greatest player in history."
"I've taken my shirt off," said Kamal Miller, a centre-back who left the field in the 74th minute due to an injury. "But when Messi was about to take a free kick, I put it on immediately because I knew Messi would do something special. On the bench, we were like Messi's fans, not Messi's teammates."
On Instagram, Messi also posted pictures from his Inter Miami debut with the message: "It is important to open the Leagues Cup with a win to give to the fans. We will continue."
On July 26, Messi and his teammates will meet Atlanta United in the second round of the J Leagues Cup at DRV PNK. The Leagues Cup is an annual tournament launched in 2019 between clubs from the American Professional Football League (MLS) and Mexico's Liga MX in North America. This year's tournament will take place from July 21 to August 19 with all 77 matches held in the US or Canada. The Leagues Cup is organized by the MLS and the Mexican Football Federation, and is ratified by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF).
