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Lionel Messi is now officially an Inter-Miami player. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner as the world’s best player signed up for his new Professional League football club for the first time on Friday night, arriving early in the second half of Inter Miami’s game against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. He hugged the player he was replacing, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, then trotted onto the pitch as a crowd estimated at 21,000 appeared to be standing, almost all of them holding phones to capture the moment.
Messi was not in the starting line-up and came on as his team was leading 1-0. No one even left their seats when the first half whistle blew. The reason: Messi was on the pitch. He warmed up for about five minutes during a break with the other substitutes before they all left for the dressing room.
That’s when fans can finally put their phones down and take a breather. Temporarily, anyway. The wait has officially begun: When will Messi arrive? He continued to warm up during the second half, jogging around the back of the field near Miami’s fans’ area, and the fans cheered as he waved to them. And about eight minutes into the second half, the answer: It’s time for Messi.
Inter Miami’s first goal of the Messi era was scored by Robert Taylor, who received a long pass from Robbie Robinson, moved into the box, and sent a low shot wide of the inside post that went into the net to take a 1-0 lead late at half-time. He scored in the 94th minute, giving Inter Miami the win with a perfect free-kick.
About 21,000 tickets sold Team officials said all tickets – about 21,000, in a newly expanded stadium – have been sold. Almost every seat was filled, many wearing Miami’s newly purchased jerseys with Messi’s name on the back. They chanted his name several times and waved flags with his name and number on it.
Inter Miami took 4 years of planning and 2 years of actual pursuit to bring Messi to the club. “Worth it,” co-owner David Beckham said earlier in the week. Messi signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the team that would pay him between $50 million and $60 million annually — and almost certainly more than $1 million per game. Some fans paid more than $1,000 for tickets to Friday’s match, although resale market prices dropped dramatically in the hours leading up to the game.
Beckham was on the pitch about three hours before the match, videotaping on his phone as he browsed through the empty seats. Messi’s jerseys are for sale at the team’s store inside the stadium and businessmen are selling Messi’s unofficial jerseys on the road leading to the venue.