Watch Lionel Messi Score On MLS Debut Against NY Red Bulls As Inter Miami Break 11-Game Winless Streak
Lionel Messi marked his Major League Soccer debut for Inter Miami by scoring a late goal in a 2-0 away win at New York Red Bulls.
Messi started Saturday's game on the bench, before joining the action as a substitute on the hour-mark.
His side were already 1-0 up at this point thanks to a goal from another South American debutant.
Twenty-year-old Paraguay midfielder Diego Gomez had fired Miami in front with a neat two-touch finish in the 37th minute.
Messi led the applause from the bench but he would soon be on the receiving end of a standing ovation of his own.
A handful of New York supporters booed when Messi was introduced as a sub but they were emphatically drowned out by cheers from all four corners of Red Bull Arena.
Messi touched the ball 23 times during his 30-minute cameo, with each involvement sparking wild excitement among the crowd.
That excitement peaked in the 89th minute of the game when Messi finished off a superb team move to score the first goal of his MLS career.
Messi, 36, collected a pass from DeAndre Yedlin 30 yards from goal before turning sharply and giving the ball to Robbie Robinson, who laid it off to Sergio Busquets.
Busquets then chipped a pass wide to Jordi Alba, who found Messi - now just inside the penalty area - with an acrobatic volley.
Messi turned Peter Stroud inside out before threading a precise pass between several defenders to find Benjamin Cremaschi near the byline.
Cremaschi immediately returned the ball to Messi, who tapped it into the net from close range.
This was Messi's 11th goal for Miami in all competitions. He had previously scored 10 in seven games during Miami's run to glory in the Leagues Cup.
Messi also featured in Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup semi-final win over FC Cincinnati, which saw Miami reach another final.
But it will take something special for Miami to qualify for this season's MLS Cup final.
Saturday's win in New York was Miami's first in 12 MLS matches.
Lionel Messi scored in a 2-0 victory at New York Red Bulls on Saturday as Inter Miami ended a run of 11 Major League Soccer games without a win
IMAGO/ZUMA Wire/William Volcov
With 11 rounds of regular season fixtures remaining, Miami now sit 14th in the Eastern Conference - 11 points off ninth place.
But this Miami team has been revolutionized since mid-July - the last time the Fort Lauderdale side played a game without Messi.
If Messi and his former Barcelona co-stars can stay fit then a special run to the playoffs should not be ruled out.
