Lionel Messi made his MLS debut on Saturday night and scored a goal to help Inter Miami beat the New York Red Bulls 2-0 at Red Bull Arena.
Messi, who joined Inter Miami in July after two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, came off the bench in the 63rd minute and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
He gave the crowd a show, as just before stoppage time, he scored. Messi delivered a beautiful pass and received a return for a tap-in goal to give his squad an insurance score to secure the win.
Messi has been on fire since joining Inter Miami, scoring 10 goals in the Leagues Cup tournament and leading the club to its first trophy earlier this month. He also won the best player award in the competition.
Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said he was careful with Messi’s minutes, as the Argentinian superstar was visibly fatigued during the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday.
“Leo and many other players are reaching an important physical limit and from this point forward, we will have to evaluate how we approach these next three games,” he said, per the Miami Herald.
Inter Miami is in the bottom of the MLS standings and this is their first step toward climbing into a playoff spot. The New York Red Bulls are in the middle of the pack and missed a chance to gain ground on their rivals.
