Lionel Messi finally made his MLS debut against the New York Redbulls and sent the fans into a meltdown with his brilliant display in the match.
The World Cup winner came off the bench at the hour mark alongside his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. Lionel Messi’s impressive pass in the penalty box made his MLS debut memorable for the fans.
Jordi Alba was seen passing the ball to his former Barcelona teammate Messi with an underrated kick of the ball with his side of the foot. Despite being surrounded by several defenders in the penalty box, the former PSG player managed to pass the ball to Benjamin Cremaschi from a tight angle.
Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets make their MLS debuts 🙌 pic.twitter.com/hbqwcmZd5L
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 27, 2023
The young American player cleverly squared the ball back to Messi, who was left unmarked after releasing the ball and found the back of the net with an easy tap-in.
Soccer fans have gone into a frenzy after witnessing the pass as one fan wrote, “His brain needs to be studied. These are things that Ronaldo or any other can’t do at all, or maybe they do them once a season. This guy has been doing these things for over 15 years.”
While another fan blamed the US defenders for letting Messi get away with it. They wrote, “I gotta say USA has the worst defenders I’ve ever seen.”
View this post on Instagram
On the other hand, another fan gushed about how the 36-year-old is not even at the same level as any other MLS player. They shared, “He’s just so much better than everyone in the MLS and it’s not even close. Playing on Amateur.”
Messi joined the MLS side from French club PSG after the expiration of his contract and has been their star player since his debut against Cruz Azul.
Kamal Miller admits to losing focus in the game while playing with Lionel Messi
Inter Miami defender Kamal Miller heaped praise on the Argentina international after their win against the New York Red Bulls. He even jokingly confessed to being distracted in the match because of Lionel Messi.
The defender shared, “I just catch myself watching him instead of picking up on my assignment. It’s tough to stay focused when you have such a great presence.”
Lionel Messi for Inter Miami
• 9games
• 9 wins
• 11 goals
• 3 assists
• 1 trophySometimes you’ve just got to appreciate greatness. pic.twitter.com/DYShTAwNue
— Janty (@CFC_Janty) August 27, 2023
The former Barcelona star’s presence and impact on the Inter Miami squad have been felt by both the fans and his teammates. Messi has scored 11 goals in nine games for his new club. Furthermore, his recent goal on his MLS debut helped the club end their 11-game winless streak in the league.