Inter Miami

Messi League Soccer.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi made his first start for his new club on Tuesday and didn't disappoint, notching a brace within 22 minutes during a 4-0 thrashing of Atlanta United in Leagues Cup action.

Leo Messi only needed nine minutes in his first Inter Miami start to score 😤

(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/0nf0Of7oqJ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 25, 2023

GO OFF, LEO MESSI.

A 20-minute brace for @InterMiamiCF's star man. pic.twitter.com/vzrDobOFRc

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 26, 2023

He added an assist in his 78 minutes of play before being substituted, with Robert Taylor notching his own brace on the night:

#InterMiamiCF are a PROBLEM.

Messi tees up Taylor to make it 4-0! #LeaguesCup2023 pic.twitter.com/OHMmHSiW8i

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 26, 2023

Lionel Messi has transformed Robert Taylor into Robert Lewandowski.

— Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) July 26, 2023

It was a job well done for the 36-year-old Messi, and MLS Twitter was downright giddy with the G.O.A.T.'s epic first start:

Only #Messi has the audacity to play a 1-2 with the goalpost before scoring🤣🤣🤣 #InterMiamiCF
Magesteeeerial pass from Busi naturally.

— Ray Hudson (@RayHudson) July 25, 2023

A game and a half in and Messi vs the the MLS is like the Mahomes’ Chiefs against the 2012 Saints defense

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) July 26, 2023

messi in mls is like bringing a waygu steak cut to an apartment pool grillout

— tim cato (@tim_cato) July 26, 2023

Messi 🔥🔥🔥🔥

#🐐

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) July 25, 2023

"Messi in MLS is too good, he scored TWO goals in one game already!"

He was also too good for La Liga, where he averaged over one goal per 90' for SEVENTEEN YEARS

— Ty Schalter (@tyschalter) July 26, 2023

Suspect a few #MLS teams will consider man marking Messi based on the early returns.

— Kyle McCarthy (@kylejmccarthy) July 26, 2023

Wayne Rooney had this to say before Messi's move to the MLS.

Messi has 3 goals and 1 assist in two games for Inter Miami so far 👀 pic.twitter.com/82nX5TGA4j

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 26, 2023

Yeah, this is getting silly. If Messi plays a full MLS season, injury free, he probably ends up with 50+ goals, yeah?

— Neal 🇦🇺 (@NealGardner_) July 26, 2023

Messi has scored 3 goals in 60 minutes of playing for Inter Miami

He didn’t have a pre-season and came into the worst team in MLS

— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) July 26, 2023

It shouldn't have come as any surprise that Messi would make a major splash. He already wowed fans with a game-winning free kick in stoppage time on Friday against Cruz Azul:

That came after an introduction in the 54th minute, however. On Tuesday, he dominated from the opening whistle.

Granted, Atlanta United's defense proved to be about as effective on Tuesday night as trying to stop a leak with a colander. It wasn't exactly a banner showing from the team's midfield or defense.

But Messi has done this to clubs in La Liga, Ligue 1 and at the international level. He's fresh off a World Cup triumph. He hasn't appeared to lose too much of a step, and that's a scary thought for MLS clubs that aren't on the level of other competitors he's faced in his career.

The thought of what a healthy Messi might accomplish in the league is frightening. He'll set records that may not be broken for quite some time, and he may dramatically lift the prospects of cellar-dwelling Inter Miami in the process.

It's his league now. Sit back and enjoy the show.

The G.O.A.T. is already taking over Major League Soccer. Is anybody surprised?

Lionel Messi astonished fans with his game-winning free kick on Friday. He followed that up by notching a 20-minute brace during his first Inter Miami start on Tuesday against Atlanta United:

Leo Messi only needed nine minutes in his first Inter Miami start to score 😤

(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/0nf0Of7oqJ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 25, 2023

GO OFF, LEO MESSI.

A 20-minute brace for @InterMiamiCF's star man. pic.twitter.com/vzrDobOFRc

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 26, 2023

Messi's introduction to his new league was brilliant, as he smoked a game-winning, stoppage-time free kick to earn Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

He's following that up in style, much to the chagrin of Atlanta United. If there was any doubt that the 36-year-old was going to obliterate the MLS, it's already been extinguished.

Inter Miami fans were not the only people watching Lionel Messi's game-winning goal during his Friday night MLS debut.

Some of the biggest celebrities and athletes in the United States, including Serena Williams, LeBron James and Kim Kardashian, were part of the sold-out crowd present at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to see Messi's 94th-minute free kick.

Some took to Twitter to praise Messi's performance and clutch goal, including James and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

INCREDIBLE!!!! 🐐 https://t.co/fEhhXSZRAx

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 22, 2023

Wild man! 🐐 https://t.co/4vVqasRreh

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 22, 2023

Inter Miami defeated Liga MX's Cruz Azul 2-1 in Leagues Cup action thanks to Messi's goal.

After years of rumors that Messi would come to play in North America, and a month of anticipation following Messi's June 7 announcement that he would join Inter Miami, the international superstar's MLS debut was everything fans and fellow athletes hoped it would be.

Lionel Messi made sure no American soccer fan will ever forget his entrance to the MLS.

In the 94th minute of his Inter Miami debut against Liga MX's Cruz Azul in Leagues Cup action, Messi earned a free kick.

The international star scored to lead Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory with the first goal of his MLS career.

MESSI'S FIRST GOAL FOR INTER MIAMI AND IT'S A GAME-WINNER 🤯

WHAT A MOMENT

(via @MLS)
pic.twitter.com/SoF9dSrbDY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 22, 2023

Leo Messi WALKS IT OFF. 🤯

An unreal ending to this #LeaguesCup2023 battle. pic.twitter.com/wJvFEjGWU5

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 22, 2023

The clutch game-winning tally earned praise from American sports stars watching the Inter Miami tilt, including Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James.

Wild man! 🐐 https://t.co/4vVqasRreh

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 22, 2023

INCREDIBLE!!!! 🐐 https://t.co/fEhhXSZRAx

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 22, 2023

The ending to the match was exactly the kind of clutch play fans expected of Messi when they tuned in from around the world to watch the international superstar's Miami debut.

LIONEL MESSI, THE GREATEST THERE IS. THE GREATEST THERE WAS. THE GREATEST THERE EVER WILL BE.

GOAT!!!!

— 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒 (@ChaaliiyKay) July 22, 2023

What a storybook start for Messi.

South Florida sports are on the rise 🫡

— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) July 22, 2023

Messi scores the game winner in the 93rd minute of his Miami debut, I thought the Hollywood writers were on strike?

— wheresrobthomas  (@wheresrobthomas) July 22, 2023

It was written in the stars. Last minute Lionel Messi free kick to win it for Inter Miami. This was written.

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 22, 2023

The most anticipated debut ever and he delivers a goal that American soccer fans will never forget. Still in shock that Messi is in the MLS and he continues to produce magical moments. The greatest there has ever been. https://t.co/Fl5ZCcqc9C

— Stack (@userisstack) July 22, 2023

Messi scoring that last minute winner on his debut in America was written in the stars. Another footballing story added to his illustrate career. The greatest footballer to grace the sport 🐐

— 𝐄𝐑 (@ErlingRoIe) July 22, 2023

THIS WHY MESSI THE GOAT #InterMiamiCF #Messi

— Honest Al Nassr Ultra (@johanhonesty) July 22, 2023

#Messi is poetry , first goal from a free kick . No one does it better than the goat

— CHAYO (@phuckitschay) July 22, 2023

Messi is the greatest thing to happen to North America.

— TJ McLaughlin (@TJMcLaughlin2) July 22, 2023

Watching Messi is the greatest feeling in the world

— SUPERHERO (@wiseboardman) July 22, 2023

The excitement started 54 minutes into the Friday night match.

Inter Miami fans had spent the entire first half of the game waiting for Messi to appear. The wait and the $1,300 tickets were worth it when Messi subbed in early in the second half.

🚨 LEO MESSI MAKES HIS INTER MIAMI DEBUT 🚨

(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/FNQ3mQfTxR

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 22, 2023

James and Serena Williams were among the celebrities watching Messi enter the match.

The stars were all ready for Messi's moment 📸 pic.twitter.com/CfYwhembWc

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 22, 2023

The crowd already spent the first half of the match chanting Messi's name. When he finally stepped on the field for the first time, the noise at DRV PNK Stadium was deafening.

If Messi scores a goal, I’m sure we’ll hear the roar of the crowd all the way in Fort Myers. #InterMiamiCF

— Zach Oliveri (@Zach_Oliveri) July 22, 2023

The crowd cheering "Messi, Messi, Messi" is enough to make a grown man cry 😭❤️

— i ❤️ hated women (@endoxmacca) July 22, 2023

Crowd going mental to Messi coming on, love it.

— FPL Fin (Jake) (@FplFin) July 22, 2023

Goosebumps hearing the roar of the crowd as Messi touches the ball #InterMiamiCF

— DaniJoi #TheQueerGenius🇵🇸🇹🇹 (@daniijayson) July 22, 2023

the crowd get turnt everytime Messi touch the ball😭😭

— A1pha🚭 (@alfonzogambino) July 22, 2023

Every touch Messi gets, the crowd goes wild! Actual goosebumps. MY GOAT!!!

— Jose Wong (@iAMwongatron) July 22, 2023

Messi recorded his first two MLS shots off assists from none other than Sergio Busquets, who subbed in for his MLS debut alongside Messi in the 54th minute.

Messi spent 13 years playing alongside Busquets in Barcelona.

Lol Messi just trying to find Busquets and vice versa

— Lee (@MrLeeRWilliams) July 22, 2023

that was the first busquets pass to messi in like over 2 years :’)

— dennis (@sbadenni) July 22, 2023

https://twitter.com/reibateyanami/status/1682564680496152581

Even after not playing together for a couple seasons, that #Messi𓃵 #Busquets connection is strong as ever. Poetry in motion.

— Ted (@Ted_tweets2) July 22, 2023

Busquets is contracted to only pass to Messi

— Glenn HODL (@GlennHODL4) July 22, 2023

Messi x Busquets 🔥

— dey (@kr4ken_fcb) July 22, 2023

Busquets-Messi buddy ball is special

— ℵ (@nicktharula) July 22, 2023

This game is like Messi + Busquets vs Cruz Azul 😂😂

— vidalfnts11 (@VidalFuentes95) July 22, 2023

Messi and Busquets will absolutely dominate the MLS. They are in a completely different level😅

— Jesus Sanchez (@jsanch_14) July 22, 2023

Having seen Messi's connection with Busquets and his game-winning goal, Inter Miami fans will leave Friday's match happy. They will hope to see Messi play again when the team returns to action on Tuesday with a Leagues Cup match against Atlanta United FC.

Lionel Messi's Major League Soccer debut was picture perfect.

The Argentinian phenom sent the DRV PNK Stadium crowd into a frenzy when he scored the game-winning goal for Inter Miami on a free kick in the 94th minute of Friday night's game against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup to lift the club to a 2-1 victory.

94TH-MINUTE WINNER.

OFF A FREE KICK.

ON HIS DEBUT.

LEO MESSI 👑

(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/zwp6gcevZI

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 22, 2023

After spending the last two seasons with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, Messi signed with Inter Miami on Saturday and began practicing with the club earlier this week ahead of his highly-anticipated debut.

"This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project," Messi said in a statement. "The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I'm very eager to start helping here in my new home."

The 2022 World Cup winner should only continue to have a significant impact on an Inter Miami squad that struggled mightily prior to his arrival.

The club sits last in the Eastern Conference with a 5-3-14 record and will be back in MLS action on Aug. 20 against Charlotte following its second group stage match of the Leagues Cup against Atlanta United on July 25.

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas believes the arrival of Lionel Messi on its own represents a form of affirmation for the club.

"We have (already) succeeded," he said, per The Athletic's Tom Bogert. "Expectations is something else, but we've succeeded. The fact that Lionel Messi is here, that Sergio Busquets is here and others are going to come, that we've opened new chapters for the sport in this country, we've succeeded."

Regarding the MLS owner meetings that coincided with the league's All-Star Game, Mas added that "the energy in the room today infectious" in the wake of Messi's transfer.

Mas previously detailed how the courtship of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner dates back to 2019, when Inter Miami officials first pondered the idea.

Sealing the deal could be a transformative moment for the club and MLS as a whole. The outcome has to feel especially satisfying for Mas given Inter Miami's somewhat turbulent start in the league.

Ownership faced a prolonged fight, one that was unpopular among many locals, in order to get the necessary approval for a new soccer-specific stadium in Miami.

MLS disciplined the Herons in May 2021 after they violated league rules with the signing of French midfielder Blaise Matuidi. The punishments included a record fine of $2 million.

The club has yet to finish higher than sixth in the Eastern Conference and currently sits dead last with 18 points.

But much of what has transpired so far will be a footnote if Messi thrives in South Florida.

Lionel Messi is set to make his debut with Inter Miami on Friday, but he could be in an unfamiliar position.

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham suggested that there's a chance Messi will be coming off the bench when the MLS club plays its Leagues Cup opener against Cruz Azul of Mexico.

"We don't know if Leo will start the game or whether he'll come on, because I think at the end of the day, he needs to be ready," Beckham told ESPN. "We need to protect him and make sure that he's ready because he's had a vacation."

Messi arrived in Florida recently and his signing was confirmed on Saturday. The 36-year-old, who will be paid between $50 million and $60 million over his two-and-a-half-year deal, was presented to a sellout crowd at Miami's DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday and he completed his first training session on Tuesday.

"He's now been in Miami for a week and he's been training really hard and he looks great," Beckham added. "So I think Leo and [head coach] Tata [Martino] will decide when he plays and when he comes on on Friday, but the atmosphere here will be incredible, and hopefully we get a win."

Whether Messi starts or comes off the bench, fans will surely be excited to be witnessing one of the greatest players of all time play in any capacity.

Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets are officially members of Inter Miami.

The two players were introduced to a sold-out home crowd at DRV PNK Stadium Sunday night during "La PresentaSÍon," a celebration welcoming the club's newest arrivals.

Messi, who most recently played in the Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, was presented with a No. 10 jersey. Busquets, a longtime midfielder for Barcelona in La Liga, will wear No. 5.

Bienvenido a nuestra familia💗🖤 pic.twitter.com/k7VOSGo1lv

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 17, 2023

The Moment #Messi pic.twitter.com/mzWsLiDbh4

— Kwesi (@KwesiFCB) July 17, 2023

Llegó nuestro 5️⃣ pic.twitter.com/cyvZAqX80g

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 17, 2023

✨ Libertad para soñar ✨ pic.twitter.com/76PSDLcoK0

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 16, 2023

A taped welcome for Messi included greetings from Tom Brady and Steph Curry.

Messi himself spoke for about two minutes in Spanish, per USA Today.

"I really want to start training, and competing,'' Messi said. "I really want to win and for this club to keep growing. … Personally, I believe that my teammates are going to give everything to build this project and I am very happy to have chosen this city, to have chosen this project and I have no doubt that we are going to have a great time and we are going to experience very nice things."

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas and co-owner David Beckham also spoke at the event.

"Today a new journey and a new chapter start. There will always be a before and after Lionel Messi," Mas said.

Beckham told the crowd the Sunday night celebration was a moment he had imagined since investing in Inter Miami ten years ago.

"I dreamt of bringing the best players in the world to South Florida and to the great city to Miami. Players who shared our ambition to grow soccer in this country... it truly is a dream come true to welcome Lionel Messi to Inter Miami," Beckham said.

The ceremony officially reunited Busquets and Messi, who had played together at Barcelona for over a decade.

Their arrival in Florida has sent the popularity of Inter Miami tickets skyrocketing. Prices soared by 1,000 percent after Messi's arrival was announced, per CNN.

D.C. United manager Wayne Rooney believes Lionel Messi "won't find it easy" to transition to Major League Soccer.

After two years in the French Ligue 1 with Paris St Germain, Messi will sign with Inter Miami, the team announced Saturday.

"He won't find it easy here," Rooney told The Sunday Times' Jonathan Northcroft (h/t ESPN.) "It sounds mad, but players who come in find it's a tough league. The traveling, the different conditions in different cities, and there's a lot of energy and intensity on the pitch."

Messi is signed through the end of the 2025 season at a reported annual average value of between $50 and $60 million, per the Sports Business Journals' Alex Silverman.

Before beginning his managerial career in 2020, Rooney made a similar journey to the United States in the final years of his playing career.

After playing in the Premier League from 2002 to 2018, where he won five titles with Manchester United, Rooney moved to the MLS to compete for D.C. United in 2018.

Rooney had a successful two seasons with D.C. After contributing to two goals in his MLS debut, he went on to record 23 goals and 15 assists in 48 games. He was also at times outwardly critical of the MLS, especially regarding team travel.

Gutted about result last night. We deserved more. Looking forward to a 12 hour travel day which could be done in 6 but hey this is mls. We will get ready for red bulls Wednesday. #Charterflights #msl

— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) August 18, 2019

At the time, charter flights were limited per team, and the majority of MLS squads flew commercial to road games.

The number of league charter flights increased in 2020 under the league's new CBA. Even with these improvements, the distance involved in MLS travel is significantly more than its European counterparts, including Ligue 1.

MLS teams travel more than their counterparts in other leagues, but exactly how much more? This comes up every now and again (hey there @TaylorTwellman), but I've never seen a direct comparison before, so I put a couple of things together. Spoiler alert: it is indeed a lot more. pic.twitter.com/gXN4MHlxdF

— buckofalltrades (@buckofalltrades) August 21, 2020

Rooney also cited the "energy and intensity on the pitch" as something to consider when adjusting to the MLS. In 2017, the MLS beat out Ligue 1's average attendance for the first time, and crowd sizes have only increased since.

Joining the MLS was not the ideal outcome for Messi, who indicated to Spanish news outlets that he would have preferred to play for Barcelona had it not been for the club's financial troubles, according to the New York Times. For the MLS, however, it will be an enormous boost similar to David Beckham leaving Real Madrid for the LA Galaxy in 2007.

Given that Inter Miami tickets almost immediately sold out following the news of his acquisition, the MLS will hope Messi's adjustment goes as smoothly as possible.