SUMMARY
- Lionel Messi's Inter Miami fought back against LA Galaxy, drawing the match 1-1.
- Messi saved the day after scoring a phenomenal equalizer in the 92nd minute.
Lionel Messi put up an inspirational performance for Inter Miami as he once again made history. Following their MLS season opener win against Real Salt Lake, Messi’s Inter Miami faced LA Galaxy away from home. In a match that was dominated by LA Galaxy, Messi heroically managed to save Inter Miami’s blushes.
Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami faced a tough test away from home last night against the mighty LA Galaxy. The five-time MLS Cup winners outplayed the Herons but struggled to break the deadlock. LA Galaxy’s talisman Riqui Puig came close to opening the scoring after Inter Miami gave away a penalty in the first half. However, Drake Callender saved Puig’s spot kick and kept his side in the game.
Messi 🔗 Alba
WHAT A GOAL! pic.twitter.com/LuYpsiAb2X
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 26, 2024
LA Galaxy finally found the back of the net in the 75th minute after Dejan Joveljic tapped the ball inside an open goal. A controversial red card for LA Galaxy’s Marco Delgado did provide a ray of hope for Inter Miami. However, it was not until the 92nd minute that Messi finally managed to score after a brilliant combination play with Jordi Alba.
🚨 Lionel Messi has now scored a goal in each of the last 20 years. pic.twitter.com/QVqwnEuc9y
— Mundo Albiceleste ⭐🌟⭐🇦🇷 (@MundoAlbicelest) February 26, 2024
With this goal, Lionel Messi managed to reach a new milestone. The Argentine ace has now scored a goal in each of the last 20 years. Messi’s first goal came way back in 2005 when he scored his first goal for FC Barcelona against Albacete. Messi’s goal against LA Galaxy was also his first goal of the 2024 MLS season and his 12th goal in 16 appearances for Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi reunites with his former FC Barcelona teammate during LA Galaxy clash
Lionel Messi reunited with his former FC Barcelona teammate Riqui Puig during Inter Miami’s MLS clash against LA Galaxy. Shortly before the kick-off, Puig was spotted greeting his former club teammates- Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. While there was no cordiality during the 90 minutes, the former FC Barcelona quintet was all smiles again after the final whistle.
Riqui Puig spent almost a decade at FC Barcelona before moving to the United States. Puig, who rose through the ranks from FC Barcelona’s hallowed La Masia, made his first team debut in 2020. However, he didn’t get much playing time with Messi as the Argentine left the club in 2021. Puig also parted ways with the Catalan giants a year later when he signed with LA Galaxy.
Lionel Messi becomes only the second person to hit the 500 million mark on Instagram
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has also been celebrating some off-the-pitch achievements. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner recently became only the second person to reach 500 million followers on Instagram. Over the years, Messi has increased his social media activity which has led to him crossing such an impressive milestone. Messi has more followers than the likes of Selena Gomez (430m), and Kylie Jenner (400m).
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In addition to this, Messi also holds the record of having the most-liked picture on Instagram. The 36-year-old’s post after winning the World Cup 2022 has now amassed over 75 million followers. However, Messi’s arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for being the most-followed person on Instagram. Ronaldo currently has 622 million followers, with Messi trailing behind by more than 100 million followers.