Lionel Messi denied history at David Beckham’s ‘dream’ $1bn stadium in front of Ronaldo

Lionel Messi scored Inter Miami’s first goal at Nu Stadium, but was denied the history-making moment of being the venue’s first scorer.

The Argentine superstar needed less than 10 minutes to find the net in front of a stand that bears his name during a 2-2 draw with Austin.

Getty

The opening of Inter Miami’s new 26,700-capacity stadium, which has cost $1 billion to construct, was the culmination of a decade-plus journey to find a permanent home.

“To see this stadium come to life, after years and years of trying to get this stadium up and running in Miami, is something that’s very special,” Beckham said ahead of kick-off.

“I came to America in the MLS 20 years ago, and I made a lot of promises. And 13 years ago, I made a lot of promises again, announcing I was coming to Miami.

“Today it’s just a dream come true for us.”

Messi marks new stadium with goal

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi scoring Inter Miami’s first goal was always in the script – but Austin taking the lead definitely wasn’t.

Myrto Uzuni smacked the post for the visitors from an early free-kick, before defender Guilherme Biro headed home inside six minutes.

Messi – who has surpassed 900 career goals – then took over to level things up with a header of his own, converting a cross from Ian Fray.

Austin threatened to dampen the celebrations by retaking the lead shortly into the second half through Jayden Nelson.

Messi had been dispossessed on the edge of the opposition box, and a fast counter had the Canadian finish coolly 10 seconds later.

Getty

Getty

The 38-year-old was soon bailed out by his former Barcelona teammate, Luis Suarez, who rescued Miami from the bench.

The Uruguayan slammed home German Berterame’s flick-on from a corner into the net minutes after Javier Mascherano had brought him into the game.

A Messi free-kick rattled the crossbar late on, and Suarez thought he’d written his name into history when he finished the rebound.

However, the ex-Liverpool star was denied by the offside flag as Miami were forced to settle for a draw in the Nu Stadium opener.

Nu Stadium is a ‘spectacular stadium’

“This is a spectacular stadium, clearly world-class,” Mascherano said after. “The crowd was incredible; the place was absolutely packed.”

Getty

Among the celebrity fans were Miami president Beckham’s former teammates, Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo Nazario.

The Real Madrid icon shared a photo of the two on Instagram, writing it: “20 years ago, you dared to dream bigger than the game.

“Today, you open doors to a new era.

“Proud to witness you turning vision into legacy and changing the game in the US again.

“Congratulations brother, I’m proud of you!”