Lionel Messi out and about with David Beckham’s daughter Harper before Inter Miami’s clash with Charlotte FC.
Ahead of Friday night’s League Cup quarterfinal match between Inter Miami and Charlotte FC, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and David Beckham’s daughter Harper took the field with each team’s starting eleven.
This followed after Messi had previously walked off with DJ Khaled’s son Asahd before a game against Atlanta United.
Messi shines as Inter Miami wins 5 games in a row on a goal streak.
The goals keep flowing from Lionel Messi, and perhaps the most intimidating part is that Inter Miami didn’t need him to score the back of the net on Friday.
Inter Miami defeated Charlotte 4-0 to advance to the League Cup semifinals, continuing a remarkable run since securing one of the greatest players in soccer history. They will face the winner of the match between the Philadelphia Union and Querétaro that takes place an hour after their meeting.
Messi went on a five-game scoring streak, waiting until the 88th minute to score Miami’s fourth and final goal:
Prior to that, Miami’s goals came from a Josef Martinez penalty, a Robert Taylor converted cross and a Charlotte own goal. Martinez gave Miami the lead in the 12th minute, then Taylor scored in the 32nd.
The own goal sealed the fate of Charlotte at 78.
The victory showed how far Inter Miami has come since inducting the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. They controlled possession 62.2% of the time and outscored Charlotte 702-413. Even Charlotte’s own goal was attributable to offensive pressure from Miami. Goaltender Drake Callender did not record a save until midway through the second half.
With Inter Miami entering the League Cup with a 5-3-14 record, the worst in MLS, it’s clear that we’re witnessing a remarkable turnaround, with the least surprising source possible. Since Messi’s addition, Miami has scored 17 goals in five games, with thrilling wins and convincing wins in equal measure. Messi himself has contributed eight of those goals and assisted on three of them.
With more and more eyeballs turning to MLS, as the Apple TV numbers indicate, the pressure is only going to mount for Miami. Messi, 36, has more than fulfilled the task so far.