Friday night’s Leagues Cup match between Inter Miami and Cruz Azul was a historical moment for soccer in the United States as Lionel Messi made his amazing debut.
Fans will talk about that night for decades. The night Messi arrived in Major League Soccer.
What isn’t being talked about as much but deserves a spotlight is the performance from Sergio Busquets who also made his Inter Miami debut.
The world watched Friday night as Lionel Messi made a dream debut for Inter Miami scoring a last-minute free kick for a 2-1 win vs. Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
Superstars watched on at DRV PNK stadium with the likes of LeBron James, Kim Kardashian and club owner David Beckham in attendance.
Lionel Messi es un ser mágico.
El argentino debutó con la playera del Inter Miami y de inmediato dejó un momento épico para la historia del equipo floridano. Un gol sublime de tiro libre, en el último minuto de juego, y que sirvió para vencer a Cruz Azul por 2-1 en el inicio de la Leagues Cup.
Cruz Azul tuvo incontables chances para sacar una victoria desde el DRV PNK Stadium, pero su falta de puntería se ha vuelto su pecado mortal.
How big is Lionel Messi?
Inter Miami, dead last in MLS, hosted Cruz Azul, bottom of Liga MX, in the uncelebrated Leagues Cup on Friday night, and a sellout crowd (one fan paid $3.5K for a spot near midfield) with LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Marc Anthony and Becky G in attendance showed up to watch.
You would've thought that Kim K had cursed Miami to a group stage exit, but Messi had other plans.
El debut de Lionel Messi en el Inter Miami, enfrentando a Cruz Azul en la Leagues Cup, no solo es un evento deportivo, sino que también social. Prueba de ellos es que varias celebridades estadounidenses acudieron al DRV PNK Stadium para ser testigos del estreno del campeón del mundo.
Una de las figuras más reconocibles en las tribunas fue la influencer Kim Kardashian, quien en entrevista con Apple TV señaló que su presencia se debía a que "mi hijo está obsesionado con el fútbol".
Con el duelo entre Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul comienza este viernes la primera edición de la Leagues Cup, una extravaganza veraniega que tendrá a los 18 equipos de la Liga MX, enfrentando a los 29 clubes que son parte de la MLS.
El torneo no ha encendido mucho la pasión de los aficionados, en ninguno de los dos lados de la frontera, sin embargo el Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul ha logrado capturar la atención no solo de ambas ligas, sino que también alrededor del globo por una particular razón: el duelo podría significar el debut de Lionel Messi con la playera del cuadro floridano.
Lionel Messi has already proved to be a team player at his new club Inter Miami as the Argentine forward surprised a teammate in the players' group chat by providing a timely assist with tickets to his presentation on Sunday.
Not even the pouring rain could spoil Messi's welcome party last weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the new face of Major League Soccer (MLS) was introduced to a packed stadium of adoring fans.
The first edition of the Leagues Cup starts this Friday, July 21, with Inter Miami facing Liga MX side Cruz Azul.
People all over the world are tuning in to the game because it will be the debut of Lionel Messi for the Floridian club. The arrival of the Argentine star to MLS has shocked the world, and it's no wonder he'll be the most expensive player in the tournament with an estimated value of $39 million, according to Transfermarkt.
Well, well, well.
The first edition of the Leagues Cup, the summer madness that will see MLS and Liga MX locking antlers for a month, starts this week, with Lionel Messi possibly making his debut for Inter Miami in their game against Cruz Azul on Friday, July 21.
Not too shabby.
However, the Leagues Cup is way more than Lionel Messi, and here we have created a quick guide for MLS fans in which they can know a little bit more about their Liga MX opponents and if they should be worried or not, thanks to our revolutionary fear-o-meter.
Lionel Messi was introduced as an Inter Miami player in front of a raucous sellout crowd of over 20,000 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday night. Messi was welcomed in the driving rain with an impressive display of pyrotechnics and star-studded video messages (Tom Brady! Steph Curry! Gregg!), and he thanked the crowd for making his family feel so welcome in the city.