Watch: Times Square in awe as Lionel Messi scores fantastic last-gasp goal for Inter Miami
Times Square watched as Lionel Messi scored a goal on his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut, as he helped Inter Miami to a 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls. Taking to the field in the 60th minute, the cheers that greeted Messi were deafening.
Though miles away, Times Square reverberated with the sound of jubilation as fans watched Messi's impressive goal unfold on giant screens. They can be seen watching and celebrating his 89th-minute effort in the video below:
Notably, the Argentine maestro orchestrated this spectacle with a couple of his old Barcelona teammates.
Jordi Alba executed an athletic leap to meet a lofted ball from Sergio Busquets, flicking it on towards Messi using the outside of his boot. The seasoned forward cleverly kept the ball away from defender Peter Stroud and proceeded to carve a pass through four surrounding defenders to find Benjamin Cremaschi.
The teenager returned the ball to Lionel Messi, beating both his marker and the keeper with a sharp pass. Seizing the moment, Messi charged toward the goal for the return pass, sending it into the net uncontested from just three yards out.
This scintillating goal, Messi's 11th in merely nine appearances for Inter Miami across all contests, has left no room for doubt about his continued brilliance. He has helped to end Inter Miami's winless streak of 11 games and also marked his arrival in the MLS.
Inter Miami manager Tata Martino insists Herons must adapt to winning without Lionel Messi
In the wake of Lionel Messi's show-stopping MLS debut, Tata Martino voiced the necessity for Inter Miami to cultivate a winning mentality even when the Argentine sensation is absent. Despite Messi's 30-minute electrifying appearance against the New York Red Bulls, Martino emphasized that relying solely on Messi is not sustainable.
Messi, who had a seat on the bench for most of the match, came into the spotlight late in the game and graced the crowd at Red Bull Arena with a goal. Yet, it was Diego Gomez who had initially scored before Messi stepped in to clinch the win.
Speaking to the press afterwards, Martino stated (via Daily Mail):
"The important thing is we value winning and winning this way because it's something we have to be accustomed to. Leo is going to miss at least 3 games - he's going to get called up by his national team. And others too and we know the team needs to continue to win in these times."
Lionel Messi's call-up for Argentina's World Cup qualifiers in September, October, and November will inevitably leave a legend-shaped hole in the team's offensive capabilities. With this latest victory, Inter Miami have climbed out of the basement of the Eastern Conference, igniting a glimmer of hope for playoff qualification.