In the 93rd minute of his Inter Miami debut, Lionel Messi struck an incredible rocket of a free-kιck to defeat Cruz Azul 2-1.

The Argentine’s MLS debut couldn’t have been more perfect, demonstrating once more why he is still the game’s all-time greatest player.

After being fouled just outside the box late in the game with the scores tied at 1-1, the World Cup champion took the field.

The ball was in the ideal spot for Messi to score, and as we have seen countless times before, the little magician stepped up and did just that.

Lionel Messi played in his first competitive game on Friday during the League Cup contest between Inter Miami and Mexican Cruz Azul. He waited till the last moment to make a statement.

Messi’s free kιck in the 94th minute broke a 1-1 tie and gave Inter Miami a 2-1 victory at home. It was the ideal beginning to a term that Major League Soccer (MLS) hopes will draw fresh interest to the young league. Messi and his longtime teammate Ricardo Busquets entered the game as replacements in the 54th minute.

The storied FC Barcelona player joined Inter Miami this week and had a drizzly debut, but his real start came on the field, where he has dominated for the most of the past two decades. Messi chose to join with MLS over a supposedly large Saudi Arabian offer and enticements from his previous Barcelona side.

Messi moved to Inter Miami a few months after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in the winter. The most emotional triumph of his career was this one. Even while he might not be the offensιve force he once was, expectations are still high.