A spectacular 94th-minute free-kick winner sealed a dream MLS debut for the Argentinian icon at Miami’s sold-out home ground, where Messi Mania has reached fever pitch
“As soon as I saw the free kick was given, I thought, ‘This is the way it’s meant to end,’” a teary-eyed Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham – who knows a thing or two about planting dead balls in top corners – said at full time.
It unfolded just as the owner foresaw, with the absurd inevitability of his new signing’s brilliance. In the 94th minute, the debutant Lionel Messi curled in a signature 25-yard strike to secure a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
