Messi scores winner via late freekick on his Inter Miami debut

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) – Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored a winner via a stoppage time freekick on his Inter Miami debut in a Friday 2023 Leagues Cup match against Mexico's Cruz Azul.

Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer (MLS) club co-owned by former England and Manchester United star David Beckham, won against Cruz Azul 2-1 thanks to the goal by Messi in the 94th minute of the match in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The US club's Finnish winger Robert Taylor scored the opener in the 44th minute before Mexican winger Uriel Antuna equalized.

"It was like (watching) a movie that will play on repeat forever. It's almost like it was written…(Messi) is always there to write these stories," Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino said to praise the 36-year-old forward.

Messi, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner with Argentina, left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Inter Miami in July.

Before PSG, Messi played for Barcelona for more than a decade to win 10 Spanish La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles with the Spanish club.

The 2023 Leagues Cup is an international club football tournament between US and Canada's MLS and Mexico's Liga MX, that began on July 21 and will run through to August 19.

In the next Leagues Cup group fixture, Inter Miami will host Atlanta United.