Lionel Messi got his first start with Inter Miami and showed why people were eager to see him from the kickoff. After scoring in his debut game against Mexican team Cruz Azul, it only took the Argentine star eight minutes to break the deadlock against Atlanta United in his second MLS game.

The match was highly anticipated not only because of the “Messi effect”, but also because it featured a showdown with another World Cup winner with Argentina, Thiago Almada, who has shown great form in the MLS. However, it was Messi who ended up on top.

The first goal, just eight minutes into the game, was a combination Messi and teammate Sergio Busquets have done a million times before while playing together in Barcelona: a long pass from the midfielder found Messi in space, and even after the Argentine’s first shot hit the post, he was quick enough to deliver on the putback. “It’s very easy to play with Leo. We’ve been together for many years”, Busquets said in a media scrum after the game. 

Not even 15 minutes later, it was Messi once again, as he sprayed a wide pass for Robert Taylor, who put in a low cross for the Argentine to pass into an empty goal.

The early lead gave Inter Miami confidence, as they wrapped up the first half with a great passing move between Messi, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi and winger Robert Taylor to score the third goal of the night. It would carry on into the early second half, when Messi picked up the ball after a misplaced Atlanta United move and created a lightning-quick counter to assist Robert Taylor for his second goal 53 minutes into the game.

All of this happened under the eager eyes of a VIP crowd. The excitement surrounding Inter Miami and Messi reaches far outside of the world of football. After LeBron James, Serena Williams and Kim Kardashian saw the Argentine’s debut, now there was a whole host of celebrities ready to watch La Pulga (The Flea), as Messi is affectionately known.

American singer Camila Cabello, who was in attendance wearing a Messi shirt, shared her excitement on her social media: “Fan girl mode fully activated when I saw Messi. Obviously the GOAT, but also kind and generous with his energy,” Cabello wrote. Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro and American rapper Diddy also didn’t miss the action. 

But the person who undoubtedly had the best time was American music producer DJ Khaled, who not only had the pleasure of seeing another Messi masterclass live but also because his son was able to accompany the Argentine when the teams entered the pitch. The moment proved incredibly special as the famous DJ’s son could not hold back the tears.

The world of tennis was also eager to see Messi. Former WTA top-ranked player and known Messi fan Victoria Azarenka had the pleasure of, as she put it, taking a “selfie” with him. Former ATP top-ten player Argentine Diego Schwartzman was also present at the game and later chatted with Messi. 

There was also a large number of fans from Argentina in the stadium. Former player  Darío Husain watched the game with his family, but the most surprising attendees were a couple of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata fans who took a massive Diego Maradona flag to the DRV PNK Stadium.

With this second win, Inter Miami secured its pass to the Leagues Cup Round of 16 and is expected to play again between August 2 and 4. Their next rival will come out of the South 2 Zone, made up of Orlando City, Houston Dynamo and Mexican team Santos Laguna. Orlando City and Santos Laguna will play the definitive match of that group on July 29, in a winner-takes-all clash.