- Martino hails Messi as the GOAT
- Free-kick goal was like a movie
- Messi scored on Inter Miami debut
WHAT HAPPENED? Lionel Messi rolled back the years with a brilliant 92nd-minute free-kick goal from 20 yards out on his Inter Miami debut as the MLS side beat Mexico's Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup tie.
As the Argentina skipper got off to a flying start in the US, Inter Miami manager Gerard Martino hailed him as the greatest of all time (GOAT) and suggested that watching Messi scoring world-class goals is something that he is used to.
WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to reporters, Martino said, "It’s a movie that we have seen before. It’s common for him, you know. It looks absolutely normal, but it’s not … we’re speaking about the GOAT."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Martino managed Messi at Barcelona during the 2013/14 season and then worked with him at the Argentina national team between 2014 to 2016.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Messi is expected to feature in Inter Miami's next fixture against Atlanta United in the group stages of the Leagues Cup on Tuesday.
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