Will Smith was in the audience to witness Lionel Messi’s debut in the MLS season opener on Wednesday night. The World Cup-winning captain displayed a stellar performance, earning him the Man of the Match title as his team, Inter Miami, clinched a 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake at the recently-renovated Chase Stadium.
Smith was present at the event and had the opportunity to meet the ‘GOAT.’ Miami co-owner David Beckham made a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to watch the season-opener with his close celebrity friend. Will Smith, also known as the Fresh Prince, had a front-row seat to witness Messi’s phenomenal performance. Smith and Beckham have been friends for a long time, as they previously partied together in 2007 when Beckham relocated to Los Angeles after joining the Galaxy team.
The Academy Award-winning actor had a great time at Wednesday’s game and went on Instagram to praise Leo for the victory and express his gratitude to Beckham for arranging his on-field experience. Posting photos with Messi and the retired English footballer, Smith wrote, “This was absolutely wild!! Big shoutout to the champ @leomessi 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷. Thanks a lot @davidbeckham!” During halftime, Smith and the Barcelona icon shared a heartwarming moment as The Herons were ahead 1-0.
Messi received a warm hug from his teammate as he made his way to the locker room during halftime. Photo credits to X@RoyNemer.
Smith uploaded a photo of the duo on his social media platform, giving credit to Instagram user @willsmith.
Smith expressed his gratitude towards his friend and Miami co-owner, David Beckham, for putting together the event. As Messi made his way to the locker room after revealing his pre-game playlist, he made sure to stop and greet the Bad Boys actor, sharing a warm hug with him. During the game, Messi played a key role in assisting Robert Taylor’s goal and setting up Diego Gomez for Miami’s second goal. Teaming up with Luis Suarez, they managed to help Gomez score by placing the ball into the corner of the net. Despite having a free-kick cleared off the line and hitting the bar directly from a corner, the eight-time Ballon d’Or awardee had a successful start to the new season as Inter Miami secured a victory.
Gerardo Martino, the head coach of Miami, had nothing but praise for Messi after the game, commending his speed and relaxed demeanor on the field. Martino noted that Messi has a unique ability to turn any play into a scoring opportunity, even from a distance. Last season, Messi and his teammates clinched the Leagues Cup, but this time around, with a squad filled with Barcelona stars like Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets, they are aiming to capture the MLS Cup for the first time in the club’s brief history.
