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And one of those eagerly waiting to record the grand entry was NBA and LA Lakers star Lebron James, who held his phone in anticipation.
Lionel Messi is special. He is a crowd puller and his Major League Soccer debut for Inter Miami further emphasized that.
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As he was lacing his boots to get on as a substitute, the crowd was obviously filled with anxiety.
And one of those eagerly waiting to record the grand entry was NBA and LA Lakers star Lebron James, who held his phone in anticipation.
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The NBA champion was not the only celebrity in close proximity. Tom Brady, Tristan Thompson, Kim Kardashian, and Serena Williams were all in attendance.
Kardashian, who has been spotted at different football matches lately along with her two sons, Saint and Psalm, were among those that witnessed Messi come off the bench to make his Inter Miami debut before scoring an utterly superb 94th-minute free-kick to hand the MLS side a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul.
Despite not starting the game, Messi’s presence on the bench amplified the excitement among the roaring crowd.
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Within minutes, chants of “Messi” filled the stadium, signifying the anticipation surrounding the moment when he finally took to the pitch, adorned in the iconic No. 10 jersey of Inter Miami.
The World Cup winner put the icing on the cake with the superb free-kick to announce his arrival in Miami and put the rest of the field on notice.
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Messi will next be seen in action for Inter Miami in the League Cup on Tuesday against Atlanta United, and it remains to be seen if Kim Kardashian and the other celebrities will be there once again, cheering on from the sidelines.
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