“This guy is a joke” – Ex-Premier League star reacts to unreal pass from Lionel Messi before his goal in win over New York Red Bulls
Former Premier League footballer Jozy Altidore reacted to a sensational pass made by Lionel Messi against New York Red Bulls in the MLS.
The former Barcelona man once again put on a show, helping the Herons register their first win in twelve MLS games with his heroics.
The 2-0 away victory against the New York Red Bulls marked an auspicious debut outing for Lionel Messi in the league, with the Argentine also getting a goal in the game.
After receiving a brilliant lobbed pass from Sergio Busquets, compatriot Jordi Alba acrobatically flung the ball to Lionel Messi.
The number 10 showed his brilliance on the ball by shielding it enough for Benjamin Cremaschi to spot the space and make a run.
It was a routine tiki-taka play for Messi after that, passing the ball to his teammate, getting it back instantly, and slotting home an easy tap-in.
The said goal was reminiscent of a prime Barcelona goal, considering the precise one-touch passing. The smooth but direct play caught everyone off-guard, surprising fans and professional footballers alike.
Former Sunderland forward Jozy Altidore expressed his appreciation of the play by commenting under the post by Instagram digital creator 433:
"This guy is a joke"
So far, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has managed to bag 11 goals and three assists in nine appearances for Inter Miami, putting him in third place in the club's all-time scoring chart.
Despite only joining the Miami-based club, it is possible that the record would belong to the Argentinian by the end of this season.
Lionel Messi has a history of making his league debuts iconic
With a stupendous goal to seal off his MLS debut, Lionel Messi continued the tradition of adding a touch of history to his league debuts.
The 2022 World Cup winner made his La Liga debut for Barcelona in 2004, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Deco against Espanyol.
While he wasn't able to find the net in his first league outing with the Blaugrana, the then-17-year-old prodigy did etch his name in Barcelona's history books by becoming the youngest player to represent the club in an official competition.
His 30-minute cameo against Reims in 2021, which marked his debut for PSG, has a similar record behind it.
Coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, Messi fetched over 2 million viewers in Spain, making it the most-watched French football game in the country ever.