Messi scores as Inter Miami open new stadium with a draw in the MLS

Miami skipper scored his team’s archetypal extremity aft David Beckham said the Nu Stadium was a ‘dream travel true’ for Miami.

Lionel Messi marked the opening of Inter Miami’s gleaming caller stadium with a extremity arsenic the Major League Soccer (MLS) champions battled to a 2-2 gully against Austin FC.

Inter Miami’s co-owner, David Beckham, was among the star-studded assemblage arsenic the club’s 26,000-capacity Nu Stadium made its debut connected Saturday, marking the extremity of a more-than-a-decade-long travel to find a imperishable home.

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“To spot this stadium travel to life, aft years and years of trying to get this stadium up and moving successful Miami, is thing that’s precise special,” Beckham said soon earlier kickoff.

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

“Today it’s conscionable a imagination travel existent for us.”

Inter Miami fans question flags successful Nu Stadium earlier the team’s archetypal MLS lucifer astatine their caller location stadium [Rebecca Blackwell/AP]

While the lucifer kicked disconnected successful celebratory fashion, with Beckham joining billionaire Inter Miami managing proprietor Jorge Mas successful a pre-game ribbon-cutting ceremony, Austin refused to travel the script.

The Texas club, who went into the crippled with lone 1 triumph from 5 matches, stunned the location assemblage aft lone six minutes, with Guilherme Biro nodding successful a country from Facundo Torres to marque it 1-0 to the visitors.

Messi, though, did not instrumentality agelong to unfastened his relationship successful his caller surroundings.

Right-back Ian Fray burst down the flank and crossed for Messi, who equalised with a uncommon headed extremity to marque it 1-1 4 minutes later.

Inter Miami dominated possession thereafter and carved retired a drawstring of chances, with Mateo Silvetti doubly going adjacent with a changeable successful the 34th infinitesimal earlier heading wide 4 minutes later.

But Austin’s dogged defence and velocity connected the antagonistic continued to airs problems for the hosts, and they erstwhile again took the pb aft 53 minutes.

Messi was dispossessed heavy successful the Austin fractional by Joseph Rosales, who released Myrto Uzuni, who successful crook sent substitute Jayden Nelson cleanable done connected extremity to score.

With Miami progressively desperate, manager Javier Mascherano sent connected seasoned striker Luis Suarez successful the 73rd minute.

The Uruguayan duly delivered 8 minutes later, prodding location from adjacent scope aft a Messi country was flicked connected by German Berterame successful the Austin defence.

Suarez thought helium had scored a melodramatic victor erstwhile helium finished from adjacent scope aft Messi’s free-kick came backmost disconnected the woodwork, but it was ruled retired for offside.