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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Marco Verratti left two emojis on Lionel Messi's Instagram post after the latter scored a stunning free-kick winner on his Inter Miami debut.
Messi came on as a substitute in the 54th minute of the Leagues Cup clash, with his team leading 1-0 against Cruz Azul. The Liga MX side, however, restored parity in the 65th minute.
Messi saved a moment of magic for the end as he netted in the fourth minute of injury time from a free-kick to win it for his team. The Argentine reacted on Instagram after his match-winning performance, writing:
"LET'S GO!!! It was very important to start this @leaguescup with a victory for us and also for all our people. We continue…"
The post has generated almost 11 million followers on Instagram and various fans, footballers and more have commented on it.
Messi's former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate Verratti also left two emojis in the comments.
Messi and Verratti played together 57 times for PSG before the Argentina captain left the club earlier this summer. The pair had a great relationship off the field as well.
Lionel Messi was recently defended for his PSG stint
FIFA World Cup winner David Trezeguet recently defended Lionel Messi for his PSG stint.
The Argentina captain spent two seasons in France, scoring 32 goals and providing 35 assists in 75 matches. Messi was often criticized for his performances as the consensus notion was that the Argentine never hit his best form for the Parisian club.
Trezeguet, though, came into the player's defense, as the former Juventus attacker said (via GOAL France):
"France has never appreciated talent and, therefore, the country has never understood Messi. His arrival in Ligue 1 was an opportunity to make a league less attractive than the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and I would even say the Bundesliga."
He added:
"But France have never known how to appreciate the talent of Lionel Messi. A player who changes the hierarchies at all levels of football, guaranteeing you a return in terms of image and prestige as few others can do."
Trezeguet also referenced some other superstars, who have been criticized for defending Messi, saying:
"Ligue 1 has rarely had the chance to welcome a player of this stature. Myself, Thierry Henry, Christophe Dugarry and Bixente Lizarazu, who have a history, have been harshly criticized for having defended Messi. Taking the side of talent and the magic of football."
Messi's PSG stint, though, is over and he is already sending fans into a frenzy after playing only 40 minutes of football for the MLS club Inter Miami.
