Beckham reaction to 94th-minute Lionel Messi free-kick winner speaks volumes

22 July 2023 , 05:00

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David Beckham has waited years to bring Lionel Messi to Inter Miami but even he couldn't have written the script which played out on his debut.

Five years ago, on the day that Beckham launched his MLS franchise, Messi sent him a message of congratulations. "Who knows, maybe in a few years you can give me a ring," the Argentinian concluded. Since then, the idea of Messi joining the club has always been in Beckham's mind.

After Messi left Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract last month, that dream finally became a reality. Stars flocked to the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to get a first glimpse of Messi in action for his new club.

Before the game, David Beckham posed for a picture with LeBron James in his Inter Miami club suit. Watching on from the sidelines, however, it looked set to be an unhappy start with Cruz Azul the better side for much of the Leagues Cup game.

That was, however, until the script made its way to Messi for the final act. With seconds remaining in stoppage time, Messi won a free-kick on the edge of the box.

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With everyone watching thinking one thing, he delivered as he has done on so many occasions with a breathtaking free-kick Beckham would have been proud of. It earned Inter Miami a 2-1 win, and Beckham looked close to tears in the stands.

When the goal went in, footage showed him jumping up in celebration with a beaming smile as he embraced his wife, Victoria. When the elation died down and the final whistle went, that joy turned to pure emotion as he seemed to be fighting back tears.

David Beckham looked visibly emotional after Lionel Messi's debut winner (Apple TV)

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The former England international shook his head in disbelief and was visibly emotional. It was a moment that summed up just how much it means to him to have arguably the greatest player of all-time playing for his MLS franchise, 16 years after his own landmark move to America.

Speaking after the game on Apple TV, Beckham said: "It's terrible watching these games. As an ex-player, you get frustrated. As a player, you can do something about it if you're losing, when you're an owner, you can't.

"But tonight is about the people. It's about this. This is what we always saw as our vision, me and Jorge and Jose and the club, this is what we saw.

"So this is such a special night for us, for our families, for everyone that's in this stadium, for you guys. It is such a moment for this country. It's such a moment for this league. And it's a very proud moment for us."

Messi's late free-kick sparked jubilant scenes in Miami (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Messi was also interviewed on Apple TV, via a translator, after the game, and his comments summed him up as he explained how he knew it was down to him to win his side the game.

“What I saw was the goal. I saw the goal, I knew I had to score. It was the last play of the game, and I wanted to score so we didn’t go to penalties,” Messi said.

"It was very important for us to get this win because in the tournament it’s going to give us confidence moving forward.”