Lionel Messi’s Extraordinary Performance in His Second Match with Inter Miami

Messi, who also provided an assist towards the end of the match, headed towards the goal as Taylor passed the ball back to Messi, who skillfully dribbled the ball into the net for his second goal of the night.

With a 2-0 lead, Messi’s highly anticipated stage performance had fully materialized, making MLS his own and delighting the fans at DRV PNK Stadium.

These two goals came after Messi’s match-winning free-kick on Friday against Cruz Azul, securing a 2-1 victory for Inter Miami in his debut appearance with the team.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner came on as a substitute in the 54th minute and successfully executed a crucial free-kick from 25 yards out on the left side, with reports stating that 12.5 million viewers watched it on television in the United States.

On Tuesday, Messi didn’t have to wait long to make an impact as he and his former Barcelona teammate, Sergio Busquets, both started for Inter Miami for the first time.

Messi and Busquets played together for 13 years before Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

Messi signed a 2 ½-year contract with Inter Miami in July, with an annual salary between $50 million and $60 million from the team, in addition to ownership shares in the club and revenue-sharing from the new MLS deal with Apple TV+.