Ex-Liverpool defender hails Lionel Messi as ‘GOAT’ after dream Inter Miami debut
Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique hailed Lionel Messi as the greatest of all time after the Argentina captain made a stellar debut for MLS club Inter Miami on Friday (July 21).
Messi's team faced Liga MX club Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup showdown. The Argentina captain came on as a 54th minute substitute and would go on to make a dramatic late intervention.
Before that, though, Cruz equalised in the 65th minute before Messi took matters into his own hands when Miami won a free-kick in injury time. The Argentina captain netted in a spectacular curler from outside the box to win the game for his new side.
Messi's performance sent US football fans into a frenzy. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner uploaded a social media post reacting to his display (as translated from Spanish):
"LET'S GO!!! It was very important to start this @leaguescup with a victory for us and also for all our people. We continue…"
The post has already amassed close to 12 million likes on social media and several celebrities, including fellow players, who have reacted.
Enrique, who used to play as a left-back and represented clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle United in the Premier League, left a GOAT emoji in the comments.
What Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate said about Argentine's English speaking skills?
Lionel Messi, throughout his career, has very rarely been spotted speaking English. Hence, fans often wonder whether the Argentine is fluent in the language.
Messi's Inter Miami teammate DeAndre Yedlin, who plays as a full-back for the MLS club, has lifted the lid on the same. Yedlin said that Messi is good enough to communicate with his teammates (via Albiceleste Talk):
“His English is enough to get by. He talks to everyone.
He also said about how Messi helped out when fellow Inter Miami star Leonardo Campana needed a ticket for the Argentine's debut game. Yedlin said:
“I didn’t know Messi was in the group chat. Campana needed tickets for the event on Sunday. Messi popped in 'How many do you need?'"
Inter Miami return to action on Tuesday (July 25) against Atlanta United in their next Leagues Cup clash, where Messi could make his full debut.