How Lionel Messi won Inter Miami debut with last-second free-kick goal vs Cruz Azul

Each of these teams will face Atlanta United in Leagues Cup group play. The top two teams of the three will then advance to the round of 32.

• Tuesday, July 25: Inter Miami vs Atlanta United
• Saturday, July 29: Atlanta United vs Cruz Azul

Josef Martinez was asked by Apple TV after the match if he ever thought someone like Lionel Messi would come to the MLS. His response: “Never. Just on PlayStation.

“I’m just really, really happy because we won. What a special moment because we have the most important player in the world.”

On whether he knew Messi would score: “For sure!

“Messi coming is important not just for this club but for this city, for MLS.”

Oh my god this is too cute, one of the kids – I think Messi’s – just placed the ball where his dad scored that free kick earlier and tried to do the same. We don’t need to talk about how it ended because, you know, he’s a kid. But very sweet to watch.

The stadium seats are empty but out on the pitch right now, down the end of the big stand where the ultras stood, the kids of the players are currently having a kickabout.

Head to toe in Miami kit, of course. Looks like some mini Messis and Busquets out there.

Earlier, after scoring his winning goal, Messi ran over to celebrate with his family.

I watched Messi’s goal at the LA Memorial Coliseum stadium with local journalists tuning it in on their phones as they saw on Twitter there was a last-minute free kick. Two Barcelona staff members joined in. The first team was starting their gym work on the pitch prior to the training session.

One of the Barcelona staff members, who’s been at the club since Messi joined the first team, joked: “I don’t think he’s gonna score, he’s not really used to deal with that pressure”. After Messi puts the ball into the net, both start cracking up laughing and left walking down the stands to join the rest of the team on the pitch.

When you think of iconic moments in MLS history and iconic debuts, the first thought is Zlatan Ibrahimovic changing the game in his debut for the LA Galaxy and scoring a volley from 45 yards.

Messi decided to match it tonight.

These are the types of moments that reach beyond the normal MLS fans. It’s the benefits that come with superstar players joining MLS teams. Gareth Bale’s game-tying goal in MLS Cup, even Kaká’s deflected free kick in Orlando City’s MLS debut.

Big-time players delivering in the moments in which they are expected to deliver. It’s that type of ability to deliver on which their stardom was built.

Messi’s goal now goes right to the top with that Zlatan volley — a moment that will be shared and remembered forever in MLS history.

• Shots: 3
• Goals: 1
• Expected goals: 0.3
• Expected goals per shot: 0.1
• Average shot distance: 24.2 yards

Josef Martinez jokingly told Apple TV after the match: “I get mad with (Messi) because he never gave me the ball.”

Lionel Messi’s wondergoal tonight brings to mind another massive MLS debut — Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 45-yard volley, one he hit just minutes after subbing into an LA Galaxy vs LAFC “El Trafico” match.

This was the second time in his career that Lionel Messi scored a direct free-kick winner in stoppage time.

The first was earlier this year, on February 19 for Paris Saint-Germain against Lille.

Beckham on what it’s like to view these games as an owner: “It’s terrible watching these games. As an ex-player, you get frustrated. As a player, you can do something about it if you’re losing, when you’re an owner, you can’t.

“But tonight is about the people. It’s about this.

“This is what we always saw as our vision, me and Jorge and Jose and the club, this is what we saw.

“So this is such a special night for us, for our families, for everyone that’s in this stadium, for you guys.

“It is such a moment for this country. It’s such a moment for this league.

“And it’s a very proud moment for us.”

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has also spoken to Apple TV about Messi’s last-second winner: “To be honest, as soon as I saw the free kick given, I thought this is the way it’s meant to end.

“Especially when you’ve got players like Leo and Sergio on the pitch, that’s what they produce. And, it’s so exciting tonight for our fans, all of these people that have come down here to see Leo just step onto the pitch, let alone just do what he’s done, and obviously Sergio’s performance was incredible.

“It’s a dream come true for everybody in this stadium to see and everybody around this country to see Leo step into the MLS and perform and I don’t have many words for that.”

The aftermath of Messi’s winning goal.

Lionel Messi has spoken to Apple TV through a translator about his winning goal: “What I saw was the goal. I knew that I had to score with the last play of the game. It was very important to get this win. It gives us confidence moving forward.”

A person with a goat’s head and a ‘MESSI’ sign is in the crowd. No more words, just this incredible image.

That reminded me a lot of Beckham’s goal for England vs Greece.

Yes that meant more as it sent his team to the World Cup but the sense of inevitability and brilliance were so similar.

Scoring a free kick from that position has about a 5 per cent chance of happening.

FC Barcelona has not scored a free-kick since Messi left.

That’s it! It’s all over! A perfect ending for Messi’s debut!

In the final seconds of the game, Lionel Messi drew a foul about 25 yards from goal. The crowd stood and cheered immediately because everyone knew what it meant in that moment: regulation for this game would end with Messi taking a free kick from one of the most dangerous places on the field. The “Messi” chants came out immediately. Fans who were starting to head for the exits — not realizing there would be a penalty shootout if the game ended in a tie — stopped near the exits to watch the moment.

And Messi delivered with a left-footed free kick goal into the upper corner. Fireworks shot off, the fans jumped to their feet and the stadium went nuts.

90+4′ Inter Miami 2-1 Cruz Azul

HE’S ONLY GONE AND DONE IT!

MESSI HITS A PERFECT FREE KICK AND WINS THE MATCH FOR INTER MIAMI!

90+3′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Messi wins a free kick on the edge of the Cruz Azul box! This will surely be the last kick of the game.

Here we go!

90+2′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Duenas is shown the second yellow card of this match after he cynically pulls back a Miami player to prevent a fast break.

90+1′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Two minutes are added on to the end of the match here.

Remember, if the game finishes level, we go to a penalty shootout.

89′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Messi leads an attack forward before laying the ball off for Martinez.

Martinez returns the ball to Messi but Gudino makes a great play to dispossess him.

The flag goes up after the play, Martinez was offside when receiving Messi’s pass.

88′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Callender makes a great save to keep the score level. He has been one of Miami’s best players tonight, making six saves so far.

87′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Messi is released in acres of space. He breaks free on goal before eluding a sliding defender and the keeper. He crosses for Martinez, who has a simple tap-in.

The flag goes up for offside though, and the replay shows Messi was well off.

85′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Busquets finds Messi in the box with a beautiful first-time chip. Messi gets a shot off but Cruz Azul’s defender does well to block it.

83′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Messi goes to ground under contact as Busquets chipped the ball into the box, but the referee wags his finger no.

Replays show Messi ran into the defender more than vice versa.

We do have VAR in operation here.

81′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Rotondi nearly finds Escobar in front of goal, who would have had a tap-in header from point-blank range. The ball is just a bit too high and Miami survive.

78′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Lotti and Tabo come on for Rodriguez and Vieira.

The Liga MX side are now out of sub opportunities.

77′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Messi finds Martinez in acres of space down the right wing. Martinez gets around the keeper and attempts to cross into the Cruz Azul six-yard area, but no Miami player is there to get on the end of it.

77′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

After Yedlin crosses and the ball is cleared, Messi tells him next time cut it back and keep the ball on the floor. Yedlin nods obligingly.

76′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Busquets, Messi and Martinez combine to lead a Miami attack. A loose ball eventually falls to the scorer of Miami’s goal, Taylor, who fires a volley over the crossbar.

74′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Christopher McVey comes on in place of Kamal Miller, who has suffered an injury.

Miami have one sub remaining.

71′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Busquets feeds Messi the ball on the edge of the Cruz Azul box. Messi fires a shot but it’s blocked by a sliding Cruz Azul player.

68′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Miami have a corner, and Messi will take it. He goes for goal with an Olimpico, and doesn’t miss by much!

68′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

There are more than a few Cruz Azul fans in this heavily partisan crowd. They’re quite lively at the south end of the stadium and very clearly not here to see Lionel Messi.

66′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Messi gives three quick claps to his team-mates to try rally them after Cruz Azul equalise.

His hands are on his hips but then they often are. This is set up for a fairytale isn’t it?

65′ Inter Miami 1-1 Cruz Azul

Cruz Azul take a corner short. The ball comes to Antuna in plenty of space in the box, and he turns and blasts a shot past Callender.

64′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Castano replaces Cambindo.

61′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Messi slots in at right wing in Inter Miami’s 4-3-3. He’ll — obviously — drift inside whenever he sees fit. Sergio Busquets at the base of Miami’s midfield three and Josef Martinez as a lone center forward.

This is only Tata Martino’s second game as Miami manager with a rapidly changing squad. Any data points on shape, preferred starters and roles will be intriguing over the next month.

58′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

To say that every time a Miami players get the ball near Messi he tries to pass to him would be an understatement. I mean, it’s not a bad idea to be fair.

56′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Messi gets involved straight away, eluding defenders and leading an attack down the right wing. The move eventually fizzles out but his skill is immediately on display.

Ben Cremaschi joins Alan Gordon in the annals of American soccer history. Gordon was the one to make way for David Beckham’s debut in 2007. Cremaschi was the one to head to the bench for Messi. Remember that for your next soccer/football trivia night.

Ruiz and Campana also came off, for Busquets and Martinez.

55′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Ok it is loud in here now as Messi and Busquets come on. I couldn’t even hear the drums for a minute. Interesting to see. Messi takes the captain’s armband straight away.

54′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Lionel Messi has come on as an Inter Miami player for the first time! He’s given a special introduction by the PA announcer, and given the captain’s armband.

Busquets also comes on to make his debut, along with Martinez.

52′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Messi is about to come on! He’s taken off his substitute bib and is standing on the edge of the pitch.

This would be a much earlier introduction into the match than anyone expected for him in his debut.

51′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Miami are having a much easier time holding onto the ball then they did at the beginning of the first half.

Allen has made a real impact since coming on as a first-half sub in place of the injured Fray.

46′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

The home side get the ball rolling as we resume action in Miami!

More chants of “Messi, Messi” ring around the DRV PNK Stadium.

Miami is incredibly fortunate to be up 1-0 at the break.

The first 15 minutes or so were entirely dictated by the Liga MX side, which finished the first half with a 0.84-0.34 edge in the expected goals balance.

Some errant finishing and a couple of crucial stops from keeper Drake Callender bailed Miami’s porous defending out.

Multiple police officers and security officers have lined the field to prevent pitch invaders while Messi and Co spend half-time warming up.

Cruz Azul dominated the opening 20 minutes, but Taylor’s opening goal has given Miami the lead as we head into the break.

Messi and Busquets come out onto the field to warm up during half-time along with Miami’s other subs.

45+3′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

That’s not the first impressive goal Robert Taylor has scored for Miami this year.

The Finnish international also won goal of the matchday for an incredible volley against Philadelphia earlier this season.

We’re into five minutes of stoppage time.

44′ Inter Miami 1-0 Cruz Azul

Miami have taken the lead against the run of play!

Robinson finds Robert Taylor on the left wing with a long, diagonal ball. Taylor cuts inside of his defender and fires a low shot off the post into the back of the net!

DRV PNK Stadium erupts as fireworks are set off!

40′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Duenas takes exception to some physical play from Robinson, giving him a shove that briefly brings together players from both sides.

38′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Arroyo earns the first yellow card of the match after clattering Rodriguez with a late tackle.

Poll for our readers:

Do you need stronger arms to wave a huge flag for 90 minutes or bang a drum for 90 minutes?

Miami fans at DRV PNK Stadium tonight will know the answer soon enough!

35′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Another turnover in midfield by Miami leads to a fast break by Cruz Azul. The Liga MX team has looked dangerous in transition all night.

34′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Miami have a free kick in a dangerous position. Allen floats a cross into the box and finds the head of Campana, but it’s a simple save for Gudino.

30′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Cruz Azul make a sub as well, as Juan Escobar replaces Rodrigo Huescas.

29′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Ian Fray is helped off the field by two trainers. He is replaced by 19-year-old Noah Allen.

Inter Miami’s brutal run of injury luck this season continues.

27′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Fray goes down and is clearly in a massive amount of pain. There was no contact that led to that injury, which makes you fear for the worst.

The 20-year-old has already had to recover from a torn ACL twice in his young career.

24′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Robinson has a defender 1-vs-1 on the left wing. He ghosts past the Cruz Azul player, gets to the byline and fires a cross into the box.

Gudino punches the ball away, but only as far as Campana, who can’t quite control the loose ball well enough to get a shot off.

Still, a brighter moment for Miami.

When I spoke to him earlier this week as part of a story I’ll do on the coverage tonight, MLS/Apple broadcaster Taylor Twellman said he had an overarching goal for viewers regarding what will be one of the biggest assignments of Twellman’s broadcasting career: He said he wanted to mostly get out of the way and give viewers the experience of feeling what he felt inside the stadium.

“I think this being a global audience versus a United States or Canada audience, I need to make sure that people understand how important this is for the league,” Twellman said. “But I would be stunned if the audio and video doesn’t tell that story of the magnitude, the environment, and the occasion.”

20′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Cruz Azul are leading possession 62% to 38% and shots 6 to 1.

Miami can’t gain possession of the ball at the moment.

16′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Inter Miami give up another big chance, as Cruz Azul fire a shot just wide.

The Apple TV broadcast cuts to a video of Lionel Messi reacting by shaking his head. Would imagine we’ll see a lot more of these types of replays. Perhaps we’ll see reactions of Busquets… and Harvey Neville, too, if we’re lucky.

Miami holding on here at 0-0.

15′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

This match has been all Cruz Azul so far. The Liga MX side have gotten behind the Miami defence several times, with complete ease.

Miami are fortunate to still be on level terms here.

At 8:26 p.m., the entire stadium started singing together as the tifo unfolded behind the goal. “Ole, ole, ole, ole, Messi, Messi.”

Messi, of course, remains on the bench and, at the moment, Cruz Azul is running the game, but the party to welcome Messi is still going strong at DRV PNK Stadium.

Sitting behind Messi and Busquets on the Inter Miami bench is 21-year-old right back Harvey Neville. The young Englishman is a product of Miami’s youth academy, but, awkwardly, he’s also the son of Miami’s recently fired ex-head coach Phil Neville.

The elder Neville is a good friend and former Manchester United teammate of Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, whose son Romeo also played for Miami before leaving for Premier League club Brentford’s B team earlier this year. Harvey Neville hasn’t played much since his dad left Miami.

10′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Rotondi gets free down the left wing, cuts inside of Fray and rips a shot that smacks off the post. Another Cruz Azul player has an open net to aim the rebound at, but shoots over the crossbar!

What a let-off for Miami!

8′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Campana takes a through ball and breaks free on goal. He shoots first-time and forces a decent save from Gudino. Miami’s first real chance of the match.

While most of the focus tonight is on players wearing the No 10 and 5 shirts, Cruz Azul has its own numerical intrigue. Three substitutes are deep into the triple digits, wearing 181, 209, and 229.

That isn’t evidence of an unwieldy squad; it’s following Liga MX custom. Players whose shirts require a third digit aren’t registered for the senior team in league competition. Instead, they’ve been called up from the youth ranks, with each club fielding U-20, U-17, U-15, and U-13 teams. Each player is required to have a unique number, meaning an academy goalkeeper can’t don the No 1 shirt if a senior player has it claimed. As a result, each youth player has a number above 99. The higher the number, the more youthful the player.

4′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Vieira puts Fray on the floor and bursts into the Miami box. He gets a good shot off but Callender makes a strong save, his second of the match already.

At some point before kickoff, LeBron James came over to Lionel Messi on the Inter Miami bench and the two legends shared a warm embrace and a long hug.

Just a normal day in the Leagues Cup… right?

2′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Chants of “Messi, Messi” ring around the stadium in the first minute. Moments later, Cruz Azul create a dangerous chance and nearly get an effort on target, but the flag goes up for offside.

1′ Inter Miami 0-0 Cruz Azul

Cruz Azul get the ball rolling and this match is underway!

Tonight is Lionel Messi’s first experience with that grand American tradition, hearing the national anthem before a sports game, and I have to say if I were him I would be mightily disappointed.

Not with Becky G, the vocalist who sang the Star-Spangled Banner capably and without too many unnecessary flourishes.

No, the most viscerally offensive part was…everything else. I have no idea who is responsible for that abomination of an arrangement that played on the DRV PNK Stadium’s PA, but I’m fairly confident that even Messi himself would have known that one does not have to harmonize LITERALLY EVERYTHING. Sometimes a tune only needs to be a tune!

I’m sorry, Lionel. I promise some of us here have taste.

Lionel Messi is sitting between Sergio Busquets and Josef Martinez on Inter Miami’s bench.

It’s almost time for kick-off!

One GOAT on hand to cheer on another.

Apple TV has just interviewed Kim Kardashian, who says her sons’ love of soccer is what has brought her to tonight’s game.

But she does mention that she used to play the sport herself, as a goalie and a centre-forward. Who knew?!

Security is ready and gathered in front of the Inter Miami supporters section.

Lionel Messi is set to come out and warm up soon.

LeBron James is on hand for Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut tonight.

• DeAndre Yedlin and Kamal Miller played in the 2022 World Cup for the United States and Canada, respectively.
• Goalkeeper Drake Callender is in the USMNT player pool but has yet to earn a senior cap.
• Two academy graduates start: midfielder (and Honduras youth international) David Ruiz and defender Ian Fray.
• Center back Serhiy Kryvtsov has 31 senior caps for Ukraine, while Robert Taylor has 29 for Finland.
• Midfielder Benja Cremaschi has played three times for the U.S. U-19s, but is also coveted by Argentina. We’ll see if Messi plays a role in the inevitable decision about the 18-year-old’s senior future.
• Robbie Robinson was selected first in the 2020 SuperDraft. The next selection? West Brom striker and U.S. international Daryl Dike.
• Leo Campana starts at striker, now in his second season with Miami after spending 2022 on loan from Wolverhampton.

Cruz Azul starting XI: Gudiño, Rivero, Huescas, Salcedo, Guerrero, Rotondi, Vieira, Dueñas, Rodríguez, Antuna, Cambindo

The home side have emerged from the dressing room for warm-ups, but no sign of Lionel Messi on the pitch just yet.

But not for Messi! Cruz Azul have taken the field for warm-ups.

A quick primer on Cruz Azul’s recent form. A semifinalist in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, the team has struggled since appointing Tuca Ferretti as manager in February. Cruz Azul lost its first three matches of the Liga MX Apertura by a 6-1 aggregate, placing them last in the nascent season table.

Players to watch include new signing Kevin Castaño, a 22-year-old midfielder with three caps for Colombia, former Manchester City loan army man and Mexico international Uriel Antuna and El Tri defender Carlos Salcedo.

Kim Kardashian is in the house.