GOATs Assemble: NBA Star LeBron James Hugs Lionel Messi Before His Inter Miami Debut vs Cruz Azul

GOATs Assemble: NBA Star LeBron James Hugs Lionel Messi Before His Inter Miami Debut vs Cruz Azul

Joel Reyes
updated at July 22, 2023 at 1:10 AM
  • Lionel Messi is set to make his debut for Inter Miami later tonight against Cruz Azul
  • Celebrities flocked to DRV PNK Stadium to watch the football icon play
  • NBA superstar LeBron James hugged the Argentine star before the game

The moment American fans have been waiting for has finally arrived.

Lionel Messi is expected to make his much-anticipated debut in the United States tonight when Inter Miami square off against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

Celebrities flocked to DRV PNK Stadium to watch Messi play, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who made the trip to Miami to see his fellow sports icon play.

LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, MLS, Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James watched Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut; James hugged Messi before the game started. Images: Hector Vivas/ Mike Ehrmann
Source: Getty Images

He was seen entering the arena wearing a hat, white shirt, and shorts.

The main star of the show, however, was Messi, who got massive cheers from fans when he arrived at the stadium ahead of his debut.

The 36-year-old was spotted wearing a pink Adidas shirt as he entered the venue.

James was later seen hugging Messi inside the stadium before the game started.

He is starting tonight’s contest on the bench but is expected to be brought on later in the second half as a substitute, per Fox Sports.

Hottest ticket in town

Messi’s first game for Inter Miami is the hottest ticket in town, with prices soaring to as much as $110,000 for tonight’s showdown against Cruz Azul.

That is one of the most expensive ticket prices ever recorded for an MLS team.

Prices soared for some seats at DRV PNK stadium after he officially signed a contract with Inter Miami last Saturday. He landed a huge payday once again, with the deal reported to be worth between $50 to $60 million per season.

Ticket prices overall for Inter Miami have jumped about 700 percent since June when news emerged that Messi was nearing a move to MLS.

Kim Kardashian attends Messi’s debut

Sports Brief recently reported on Kim Kardashian attending Messi’s debut for Inter Miami.

The reality star was spotted entering the venue with her child, who was wearing Messi’s Inter Miami No. 10 jersey.

Kardashian was seen hanging out with David and Victoria Beckham inside the stadium before the game started.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.