You come for Messi, you stay for the football. Last night saw the curtain raiser for the 2024 MLS season, as Inter Miami faced Real Salt Lake. New players, new kits, same old Messi madness. We just had to get there to check out the scenes for the first ‘Framed’ of 2024.
Messi mayhem continues to dominate all things Major League Soccer, so much so that the opening game of the 2024 season was given its own match day, a full two days ahead of the next games kicking off. As expected, all eyes were on the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner despite the presence of the likes of David Beckham and Will Smith, and Messi didn’t disappoint in his latest signature boots, providing the assist for the first goal of the new campaign, cooly slotted away by Robert Taylor. We won’t mention the goalkeeping…
While Messi was the headline act, the supporting cast at Inter Miami these days is nothing to be scoffed at, and debutant Luis Suarez – complete with his ‘Debut’ badge (bet he won’t be sorry to never have to wear that again) on the new ‘2getherness jersey’ – also got in on the action, providing the assist for the second and final goal of the evening, slotted home by Gómez. But even that move came from a marauding run from the main man Messi again.
Real Salt Lake were not without their chances, but they were just lacking a clinical edge in front of goal. At the end of the day, they were just 11 more spectators at Chase Stadium, watching on as Messi worked his magic and guided Miami to victory and three precious points.
Photography by Daniel Zuliani for SoccerBible.