David Beckham, part-owner of MLS side Inter Miami, was in attendance for the Leagues Cup game between his club and Cruz Azul, expected to be Messi's debut.
David Beckham emotional for Lionel Messi debut
The Argentine superstar came on in the 55th minute to a thunderous reception, with fans of both teams delighted to be in the presence of greatness.
It is impossible to quantify his impact, and watching Messi play in the United States is still a hard pill to swallow for fans of a player that clearly has so much more to give.
Nonetheless, he delivered. With the game tied at 1-1, and with seconds left, Messi stepped up to curl home a free-kick from 25 yards sending the stadium into a frenzy and David Beckham into an endless stream of tears.
El primer gol de Messi con Inter Miami 🤯🤯👏👏
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 22, 2023
Messi scores in his first match with the club to give us the lead in the 94th minute. pic.twitter.com/pI7bYjEK63
David Beckham in tears after Messi’s goal! 🥺pic.twitter.com/WMD3QHggv1
— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) July 22, 2023
Beckham will be hoping that Messi can change the fortunes of his Inter Miami franchise in the coming months.