Lionel Messi celebrated his game-tying goal on Saturday night with another Marvel Universe celebration that quickly went viral. Messi scored in the 67th minute in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw against Charlotte FC, then placed his hands by his side, palms down, and began to raise his heels — for liftoff just like Iron Man. The celebrations drawing inspiration from Marvel characters began during Messi’s first season with Inter Miami a year ago and continued Saturday. He looked toward his kids in the stands at Chase Stadium as he performed the Iron Man gesture.
Messi previously celebrated goals by reaching out for Thor’s hammer, crossing his arms over his chest like the Black Panther and shooting out webs like Spider-Man. Messi told the Miami Herald last August the celebrations began after watching Marvel movies with his sons before they began school last year, shortly after his Inter Miami arrival. “My three sons are still on vacation, have not started school yet, so every night we watch Marvel superhero movies. They came up with the idea and asked that whenever I have a game and score a goal, I do a Marvel superhero celebration. That’s how it started, and we continued that ritual,” Messi said. “Each time we watched a new movie, we would practice a goal celebration. But I only do them for home games, when the kids are here, near me, so we can share those moments. When I see them in the stands, that is when I do them.”
Messi and Inter Miami will play in what could be the biggest game of the MLS season on Wednesday against the reigning champion Columbus Crew. With a win, Inter Miami could secure the MLS Supporters’ Shield, a title given to the team with the best regular-season record. It would be Messi’s second title with Inter Miami, after winning Leagues Cup 2023. Lionel Messi finds the back of the net from outside the box to tie the score for Inter Miami.
Messi's Iron Man Celebration
Lionel Messi scored a second-half equalizer and Inter Miami claimed a 1-1 draw against Charlotte FC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday night. Miami (19-4-8, 65 points) played to a draw for the third straight time following a five-match winning streak from July 17-Sept. 14. Charlotte (11-11-9, 42 points) was denied back-to-back victories, which would have marked the club's first winning streak since mid-June. Still, Charlotte FC are unbeaten over their past two matches on the heels of a three-match skid. Messi tied Saturday's match in the 67th minute when he lasered a shot from beyond the box that evaded diving Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina to make it 1-1. It was Messi's 15th goal of the season, and he now trails Luis Suarez by a pair of tallies for the team lead. It was also Messi's third goal in four matches since his return from a two-month layoff stemming from an ankle injury.
Inter Miami vs. Charlotte Highlights
Miami then appeared to win a penalty in the 75th minute as it looked to take the lead, but the call -- and a subsequent second yellow card to Charlotte FC's Adilson Malanda -- was overturned after further review. Moments later, Charlotte seemed to go up 2-1, but Liel Abada found himself offside in the buildup. Messi's goal canceled out a 57th-minute score from Charlotte. A Brandt Bronico pass into the box was redirected into the net by Karol Swiderski for his third goal of the season and a 1-0 lead. Kahlina made seven saves, including several critical ones in the second half to keep Charlotte in the match. Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender faced just two shots from Charlotte FC, saving one as both teams ended the evening with a point despite lively chances in second-half stoppage time. Nathan Byrne had Charlotte's other assist. Marcelo Weigandt and Sergio Busquets were credited with assists on Messi's goal.
Inter Miami CF (19W-4L-8D, 65 points) secured a 1-1 draw with Charlotte FC tonight at Chase Stadium to extend the Club’s unbeaten streak to eight in MLS play. Captain Lionel Messi secured the draw with a goal, moving the team one step closer to clinching the Supporters' Shield; a win over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday would secure the title. “The search was always ours, and the truth is we missed too many goals. We got very little in return for what we did... The story continues, there are fewer games left. It's a shame we couldn't take advantage of Columbus Crew's draw in Washington, but we have no regrets,” said head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino.
Inter Miami’s Road to the Supporters’ Shield
Drake Callender started in goal; Marcelo Weigandt, Tomás Avilés, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba lined up in defense; Julian Gressel, Yannick Bright and Federico Redondo formed the midfield three; captain Lionel Messi and Diego Gómez started on the wings either side of striker Luis Suárez in attack. From the early going it was Inter Miami on the front foot, creating chances in attack. The first major opportunity came in the eighth minute when Gómez played Messi in behind the Charlotte backline, but the Argentine’s shot was saved. More chances came at the feet of Messi and Suárez later in the half, but the goal eluded the hosts. In the 34th minute, Messi played a perfect through ball behind the defense for Suárez, and the striker cut in to his right and fired towards goal, but it went wide. Just moments later Messi created danger again, firing a low driven shot at the near post from the edge of the box, but it just narrowly went wide.
Just 12 minutes into the second half, however, Charlotte struck first with a ball in from Brandt Bronico that Karol Swiderski clipped in front of goal, knocking into the back of the net for the 0-1 lead. The hosts wouldn’t be upstaged, making an important change by bringing on Matías Rojas, marking his return from injury, and turning up the pressure. Rewards came in the 67th minute; a simple string of passes saw Busquets play the ball to Weigandt, who then slid a ball to the top of the box, where Messi met it, took a few touches past the defense, and curled a shot past the goalkeeper and inside the post for the equalizer. The goal was the 15th for Messi in MLS this season and 17th across all competitions, while the assist for Weigandt was his third, and the secondary assist for Busquets brought his tally up to seven in MLS in 2024.
The Next Big Game
In the 90th minute, Inter Miami made several substitutions, with Academy products Ian Fray, Benjamin Cremaschi, and David Ruiz coming onto the pitch as the team searched for a game changer. Inter Miami came close with late chances for Suárez and second-half substitute Leonardo Campana, but the goal wouldn’t come. Despite the hosts' efforts in attack, recording a total of 21 shots to the visitors’ nine, the scoreline remained unchanged throughout the final minutes and Inter Miami claimed a point at home with a 1-1 draw. Next Inter Miami will hit the road for a pair of away matches, first taking on the Columbus Crew with a chance to clinch the Supporters’ Shield on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The team will then head north to face Toronto FC on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. ET. Possession: MIA - 58% CLT - 42% Shots: MIA - 21 CLT - 9 Saves: MIA - 1 CLT - 7 Corners: MIA - 4 CLT - 2 Fouls: MIA - 9 CLT - 8
