Lionel Messi entered as a substitute in the 60th minute and scored his first MLS goal in spectacular fashion in the 89th to seal Inter Miami’s 2-0 win over the host New York Red Bulls in front of a raucous crowd in Harrison, New Jersey, on Saturday night.

Moments after his free-kick was blocked by New York’s five-man wall, Messi moved the ball by five New York defenders to Benjamin Cremaschi. Messi then moved to the centre of the net, waited for Cremaschi’s return feed and scored into an open net as New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel was well out of position to stop the 36-year-old star.

It was Messi’s 11th goal in all competitions since joining Miami (6-14-3, 21 points) on July 15 and sealed the club’s first win since May 13.

Messi did not warm up but fans began chanting for him in the opening minutes and again in the 35th — right before Diego Gomez scored his first MLS goal in his MLS debut after signing with Miami five days after Messi.

Messi entered in the 60th minute for Leonardo Campana, who moments before the star’s big entrance missed the net.

Reuters