Lionel Messi magic lights up Miami! Six things we learned as World Cup winner buries late free-kick to spark wild scenes on Inter Miami debut

That's more or less how it works these days. Messi is now a player who operates in moments. He scores free-kicks, finds neat assists, makes the very complex look simple. He no longer dominates games as much as he raises them, occasionally popping up with the spectacular as a reminder that the greatest to ever do it is indeed on the pitch.

Most of the familiar Messi things were here. The Argentine enjoyed the normal slew of weaving runs and dips of a shoulder. He cut between defenders, found angles that didn't exist, and offered some much-needed sharpness in the final third.

But there were also less impressive moments. Messi had the audacity to lose the ball once or twice, while his 36-year-old legs offered little help in Cruz Azul's rapid transitions. These are the things that Inter Miami will have to adapt to, the faults they will need to fix if they are to turn their season around. Those free-kicks won't come every night, or every game. But on Friday, it was perfect.

There was also a debut for another big-name signing, as Sergio Busquets had the misfortune to be subbed on after Messi, his arrival met with some respectful cheers and generous applause — a far cry from the screams that greeted the previous new signing.

And he was arguably more impactful than the Argentine. Miami had lost control of the midfield before Busquets entered the game, Cruz Azul playing through their triumvirate far too easily. And Busquets, in signature style, filled some of those gaps.

He no longer has the legs to cover space like he used to, and gets exposed in transition these days. But his positional awareness and calmness on the ball was vital. He linked up with Messi on a number of occasions, as his passing as reliable as ever.

There was one crunching tackle, a few sneaky fouls that weren't whistled, and plenty of diagonal balls. He doesn't bring the same spectacle as Messi, but he might just be as important this side.

David Beckham occupied the owner's box. Kim Kardashian was seen entering the stadium. Serena Williams watched eagerly from the sideline. And before the game, one men's sporting legend hugged another, as Lebron James and Messi shared a moment prior to kick-off.

This was, of course, a must-see event in the world of American soccer, a contest that MLS will hope proves to be a seminal moment in the growth of the game in the country. But it was also a celebrity gathering, with some of the most recognizable faces in sports and entertainment in attendance to watch Messi's debut.

And that might just become the new norm in Miami. Messi's signing was equal parts sporting quality and marketing excellence. His presence alone is enough to make Inter Miami a must-see team. The on-field performances will inevitably be raised, but it's not necessarily about that for the VIPs on the touchline.

And DRV PNK Stadium, for all of its limitations as a venue, will likely be hosting countless A-Listers in the coming months. Friday night, it seems, was just the start.

Miami are currently bottom of the MLS' Eastern Conference by some distance. Tata Martino's squad find themselves 12 points out of playoff contention with 10 games to play, and there is no guarantee that they will be playing into the fall. That much was clear for long stretches on Friday night. The home side were badly exposed at times, often beneficiaries of Cruz Azul's poor finishing.

And even when Messi was on, some weaknesses were there. The visitors still had their moments, and forced Drake Callender into a handful of neat saves. Messi or not, there might be problems to come.

And those will, hopefully, soon be fixed. More signings will surely arrive, with Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta among those to have been mentioned. Further, more youthful, legs will perhaps be needed. As Argentina showed at the World Cup, there must be a team of runners assembled around Messi in order to get the most out of him. Either way, this is a team that will only get better — but needs time to get there.

Speaking of new signings... Inter Miami have already announced one, with Jordi Alba set to join in the coming days, and the Spaniard projects to be an invaluable addition for the club.

Already short at the back, Inter Miami lost Ian Fray to injury on Friday, and although his replacement, teenager Noah Allen, performed admirably, a full-back of Alba's quality can only help.

There were moments on Friday when Messi turned over to DeAndre Yedlin in disappointment. Sometimes the pass was wrong, or his run was late. And occasionally the United States international was out of position defensively or mistimed a tackle.

These are the kinds of mistakes that Alba, even at his age, does not make. He may no longer be reliable enough to star weekly for Barcelona, but he is the exact kind of player Inter Miami need to shore things up.

Miami goalkeeper Callender will surely feel that he could have done better on the Cruz Azul goal. Although it was well-struck, he got enough on it, stretched far enough, to perhaps feel should have tipped the effort around the post.

But that was his one mistake in an otherwise splendid evening of work. He was peppered all night long, the leaky defence in front of him making countless errors and leaving Callender exposed. His response was a seven-save performance, including two crucial stops as time wore down.

He will have surely liked to have had an easier night — especially on such a momentous occasion. But it was Callender's play that kept Miami in it long enough for Messi to work his magic.