Messi suffers embarrassment as Miami lose on special night arranged for him
Inter Miami lost 2-1 to New York City FC on Friday night, in a tribute game arranged to honour Lionel Messi's record eighth Ballon d'Or success.
When Miami missed out on the MLS Cup Playoffs fans assumed they'd seen the last of Messi until 2024, that was until MLS arranged a 'Noche d'Or' friendly to give him a proper celebration. Messi presented his Ballon d'Or trophy to the crowd and gave a speech at DRV PNK Stadium before the game got underway.
With playoffs in action, Miami arranged to play NYCFC as they had also been eliminated during the regular season. However, they outplayed a Miami team that started Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba to kill the mood in Fort Lauderdale.
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After a quiet first half NYCFC striker Talles Magno put the visitors ahead just before the break, staying composed as he dribbled past Miami defender Kamal Miller before finding the far corner. But it very quickly became two as Julian Fernandez scored a powerful effort two minutes into the second half, before Robbie Robinson pulled one back for Miami late on.
Fernandez, a 19-year-old talent from Argentina, stole Messi's show as his compatriot looked on in disbelief at what was happening. It may have been a friendly that didn't have any competitive ties, but it was a tough defeat to take on an evening all about Messi.
It proved that even though they have the best player in the world, their squad still needs work if they're going to compete next season. The ex-Barcelona reunion is set to grow as Luis Suarez has agreed to sign for the franchise, according to ESPN.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona star cut short his two-year contract signed in December 2022 with Brazilian side Gremio to join Miami for the 2024 MLS season, and on Thursday night he showed owner David Beckham exactly what to expect. The Uruguayan striker scored a 19-minute, second half hat-trick for Gremio, earning them a 4-3 win over title rivals Botofogo.
Messi spoke before the game to thank fans It was a sour note to end 2023 on for Messi, but fans appreciated his words before the start of the game on Friday. "First of all I want to say thank you for coming, for this beautiful ceremony," Messi said to the crowd. "For me, it's something amazing to share this moment with you.
"I've been here for a short period, but it feels like a long time. Like I said at the beginning, I never doubted that we were going to enjoy our time here, and now I have no doubts that next year is going to be even better. We are going to keep enjoying, keep winning titles, and I hope you can support us like you have since I arrived.
"It has been amazing and next year we have important tournaments to face together. Thank you everyone and good night."
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