The Day Lionel Messi Substituted & SHOCKED America

Today is the day, the beginning of a new era of soccer, of football in the United States of America and North America. The A-listers are here on and off the field for a first of its kind competition across two leagues and a one of a kind player expected to make his debut. Welcome to the 2023 Leagues Cup. Welcome to Miami. Welcome to Messi. We are at Dry Pink Stadium in South Florida as Inter Miami hosts Cruz Azul on the opening night of Leagues Cup. This is a spectacle unlike any we have seen around. And now underway, the 2023 Leagues Cup to Inter Miami coming forward. First minute hole off Kamal Miller and just out for, would have been a corner but the offside flag up on Cruz Azul. Defending, Cambindo coming forward. Rivero is saved by Drake Callender. How easy is that though from Cruz Azul in transition. Moises, still Moises. Moises is in, oh, Drake Callender. Save in the first four minutes, this one better than the first. Here we go for Cruz Azul. Can they take advantage? And Tuna just wide. They're gonna be chomping at the bit. Campana coming through. Campana, first time right at Andres Coutinho who makes the save. This is just fantastic. Carlos Rotundi cutting it back. Rotundi curling it off, the wonderful opportunity for Cambindo. Carlos Rotundi is just loving the moment. Grew up playing for Newell's old boys, Tata Martino, Lionel Messi, legends. For Lionel Messi, uh-oh for Miami. Cambindo, wide open for Cruz Azul, 13 minutes in, but unable. Yeah, but this game is too strict. Moises, and back towards Moises. Robinson able to clear. Rotundi whipped across Callender, unable to hold. And Tuna cutting it back. And then again, and then in. Callender holds. Step over, Robinson to the byline, knocked away. Campana trying to settle. DeAndre Yedlin, he's looking for Campana. Oh, it was there for him. Allen will serve this for Inter Miami. Flicked on by Campana, right into the arms of Andres Coutinho. I mean, difficult times for Noah Allen. Isolated with Krivstov. Rotundi overlapping. Rotundi off of Krivstov and out for Cruz Azul for him. Oh, fell into a dangerous spot. Rotundi trying to get around Yedlin. That cross took a deflection and is out for, would have been a, anticipated well enough. Charlie Rodriguez. You mentioned Gregory a couple of times tonight. That's Royal going straight through and being shown a yellow card. The first yellow card of this match. Switch over to Robert Taylor. Taylor. Taylor! Robert Taylor, what a goal! Moments before this full score, DeAndre Yedlin, Robbie Robinson having a conversation that they've gotta be separate. There's gotta be a little bit more nuance to their movement. Look at Yedlin, he pushes forward. Robbie Robinson picks up his head and finds Robert Taylor. Robert Taylor, a dynamic, loves one-v-one moments. And now Antuna trying to get it back for Cruz Azul. Moises. Oh, cuts it back so good for the Brazilian and then off balance. We have reached halftime. The first half is watched from the bench by the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi. A second half underway in the League's Cup. Cruz Azul and Inter-Miami, a half that we think will bring about the Inter-Miami. Allen sends it across. It took a deflection from up behind. Well, you said 30 minutes. We thought maybe 15. It looks like it's gonna be more. Lionel Messi getting ready to enter for Inter-Miami. Rotundi draws the foul. Cruz Azul will have a set piece. Set piece now for Cruz Azul. Calendar making the save. That was struck very well of the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi. The moment is here. And now your number 10, La Familia. Please welcome to the pitch for the first time in Rosario Negro, Número 10, Lionel Messi. Welcome to the first time in Rosario Negro, Número 5, Sergio Guziárez. It's his first time on the ball. First touches for Miami. Into Robert Taylor. He gets it back. Oh, yet the leading from Messi into Taylor. This is so good for Miami. Messi. Rivero does well to take it out for Messi and throw a foul. Messi. Into Martínez. Back to Messi. Chased down and taken away. Cuts it back. This is a wonderful chance and it's- Mentuna in behind the back line of Miami. Musquets forward to Messi. And still showed up. Quickly into Martínez. Joseph turning. It's still there. And cleared. Foul given against Miami. But I think between the ears. Mendo Moises from a narrow angle sends it into the crowd. And oh, what a cutback. Robbie Robinson, it was blocked. Oh, Musquets. The change made. Rotundi also was really active early on. Thought about it. Nifty ball in. Callender couldn't get to it. And Tuna scores. Oriol Antuna levels the match for Cruz Azul. When Antuna first showed up in Major League Soccer, he was a direct, pacey, wide player that got in behind. Nifty touch from Yedlin. Oh, Messi spinning away. Back to Yedlin. Yedlin. It was blocked. Guerrero the tackle for Cruz Azul. Great tackle from Guerrero. Check complete. Messi will serve. Is he going for it? Constantly turning you inside and out between the ears and on the field. Here he is again. Does he have the legs in a league like this that's physical? But between the ears, he's four or five steps ahead of everyone else. He leaves it. Lionel Messi and Sergio Musquets in their professional, their senior career. Musquets into Messi. Messi! It was blocked. Rivero. Pretty wild. Messi. Yedlin floats it in. Allen is arriving. Dealt with by Escobar, only as far as Taylor. Messi. Oh, what a ball. Martinez. Coutinho up his line. Martinez is around him, but nobody there. Calendar push. Rivero with time, drives it in. Krivtsov concedes the goal. Rotundi to the back post. Just over. Krivtsov. Lati, saved by Adam. But other than that, Calendar's come up with two or three big saves to give Miami a chance. Back to Messi. Immediately closed down. Still on it. Musquets. Clips it back in towards Messi. Messi goes down. Saeed Martinez, the referee, very experienced. Wags the finger. Says, no, no. For it, looking for a late winner. From distance, over again. From Cristian Tabo. Messi in the midfield with a ball and Martinez leaves for Musquets. Arroyo. Sergio Musquets into Messi. Flag is down and it's blocked. And the flag has stayed down in his corner. Allen. From distance. Noah Allen. Messi trying to get behind. Messi is in. The flag is down. Messi. Oh, cutting it back to Joseph, who taps it in. And now the flag does come up. The delayed offside flag. As is the protocol. But it did seem. Oh, Calendar again. Musquets. Messi's got a ton of space. Messi. Around one and another. Lionel Messi. Musquets. Finds Messi. Messi slides it to Martinez. Back to Messi. Oh, save by Coutinho. Well, I think the flag was up. He was in an offside position, but it's amazing to me. Lati. Still Lati. Cuts it back and over by Tabo. The substitutes. Go to penalties if it's still 1-1. Reminder, there are no draws in League's Cup. Level. Messi. Tries to get it to Yevano. Still Messi. Now it is Yedlin. Can Miami find a winner late? Oh, Messi tried the back heel. Martinez. Into Messi. Immediately closed down. Free kick given. Here we go. Here it is. Messi! A winner at the depth for Inter Miami. 2-1 over Cruz Azul. It is Messi's moment. It is Messi's night.