Inter Miami stars took 'bets' Lionel Messi would score on debut while watching on from the bench – with Kamal Miller reflecting on 'crazy' life alongside all-time great

The Argentine superstar made an immediate impact in Florida following his stunning move to the United States in 2023.

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His bow came in a Leagues Cup clash with Cruz Azul and despite not starting that contest, he still had the final say when curling home a match-winning free-kick in stoppage-time.

Those heroics came as no surprise to his new team-mates, with former Inter Miami defender Miller telling MLSsoccer.com of what it was like to witness Messi magic up close: “Euphoric, honestly. You can't really write it or dream it any other way, especially his entrance, the way he came in and scored that free kick. It was crazy. I was on the bench when he scored, I got subbed out that game and we're just taking bets on the bench like, ‘You think he’ll score?’ And then boom, right over the wall. We were like, this is not real.”

Messi went on to inspire Inter Miami to Leagues Cup glory – the club’s first trophy – and has made a history-making contribution for the Herons on and off the field. Miller, who has moved on to the Portland Timbers, added: “He came at a time when we were struggling in the league and as a group, we got together before he came and we're like, ‘Leagues Cup is a perfect opportunity for us to start with a clean slate. Everyone starts on zero points and we can kind of rewrite the season. Even before he got there, we committed as a team that we were going to give everything to win Leagues Cup. With the additions, obviously, it helped a lot, but overall it was a good ride.”

Messi currently forms part of the Inter Miami squad that is taking in a historic international tour ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign. Tata Martino’s side have arrived in Hong Kong, following outings in El Salvador and Saudi Arabia, with the intention being to challenge for honours on multiple fronts this season.