In just half an hour of play, Lionel Messi made his mark by scoring his first goal of the year 2025. This feat took place during an exhibition match between Inter Miami and the América of Mexico, which took place in Las Vegas on Sunday morning. The match ended in a thrilling penalty shootout, with Inter Miami winning after a 2-2 draw after regulation time.
The game started well for the Mexican team thanks to a goal from Henry Martin in the 31st minute. However, Messi responded just three minutes later, grabbing the ball in midfield and orchestrating a move that he finished off with a header, finding the back of the net after a precise cross from Uruguay native Luis Suárez .
After completely reshuffling its starting line-up, America regained the lead early in the second half with a goal from Israel Fernández. However, even without Messi on the field—substituted in the 65th minute—the Americans managed to equalize in added time thanks to another Argentine, Tomás Avilés.
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With a final score of 2-2, draws followed, and Inter Miami triumphed 3-2 in a somewhat erratic penalty shootout.
In this pre-season opener, Javier Mascherano put together a starting lineup that included five Argentine players and surprised fans by putting his new signing, Rocco Rios Novo, in goal. The defense also consisted of Marcelo Weigandt and Avilés, while Federico Redondo started in the middle.
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