Soccer Betting -- In Messi's debut, he had Miami in a frenzy

Lionel Messi did not dissapoint in MLS debut

Professional soccer will likely never be the same in the United States after Friday night. That much is known by those BetOnline patrons who like "futbol."

Inter Miami CF, a team in Major League Soccer, fulfilled a dream just a couple of weeks ago when it signed the greatest player of this generation to a contract.

Co-owner David Beckham, who carved out quite a legacy himself in world soccer, aspired to bring Lionel Messi aboard almost from the outset, and as the seven-time World Player of the Year contemplated his next move, he considered sticking around with Paris Saint-Germain, returning to Barcelona, the scene of his greatest triumphs, and even taking an offer from the Saudi league, which had snared Cristiano Ronaldo.

But there was perhaps a higher calling in the United States, where he had a chance to change a culture, not to mention have a piece of a team and a league that was very much on the rise. And he already had a home in Miami.

So he elected to become the most important signing by a U.S. franchise since Pele came to the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. And it's kind of ironic, because the biggest signing in between is what made this all possible. When Beckham signed with the L.A. Galaxy in 2007, part of the deal was that the MLS gave him the option of buying a franchise whenever he wanted for $25 million, as long as it wasn't in New York or Los Angeles. So he picked perhaps the next most glamorous location - the Miami area.

There is indeed a new stadium coming soon near the Miami airport. For now, the team's home is DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where, as Lockhart Stadium, it had been home to the NASL's Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

On Friday night, it was the center of the soccer world, even as the Women's World Cup was getting underway in New Zealand. Inter Miami was part of the Leagues Cup competition, taking place between the MLS and Liga MX, the top league in Mexico. The opponent was Cruz Azul, which has talent but not what Inter Miami was about to put on the field. Aside from Messi, who won the Golden Ball and Silver Boot at the last World Cup, which his Argentinian team won, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, teammates of his with Barcelona and two of the best in the world at their positions, are joining him. So was Tata Martino, once the coach at Barca.

Some of the tickets for Messi's debut were going for over $100,000, but there was some disappointment when it was announced a day or two before the match that Messi would only play the final 30 minutes, with Busquets only playing in the second half as well. Alba, with family issues, wasn't joining the lineup just yet.

But Messi provided enough excitement for a whole season when he finally came off the bench. After being fouled in the 94th minute (extra time), he was granted a free kick, and booted it past a wall of Cruz Azul players and into the top left corner of the goal, making Inter Miami a 2-1 winner.

So what comes next?

Well, Inter Miami has twelve regular season games left, and they are in last place in the Eastern Conference. They have been winless in their last eleven league matches. So there is some question as to whether they will even make the playoffs (top nine teams in each conference qualify). But if they do, they're dangerous, because Messi's arrival has inspired other outstanding players to want to come to south Florida.

Inter Miami is a middle-of-the-pack team in the MLS title odds at BetOnline, priced at +3000, and Messi himself is listed at -400 to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or. ...... Remember that you can get the best soccer odds from around the world, and it's very easy to open an account. Just use your credit card or take advantage of any of sixteen different crypto options!