Lionel Messi and Inter Miami WIN the Leagues Cup on penalties after the World Cup winner’s sensational first-half strike was canceled out by an own goal

There are times when a side needs moments of genius from a star man and there are other times when it needs the grit, determination and steel to forge true team spirit. Inter Miami needed it all to beat Nashville and win the Leagues Cup, even with another moment of utter brilliance from Lionel Messi.

It was the goalkeeper, Drake Callendar, who was the hero on the night before Miami. He scored an own goal – not that he knew much about it – before converting the decisive penalty as he saved the next penalty from his opponent, Elliot Panicco.

As Panicco lined up to take his penalty, as a sold-out Geodis Park held its breath, Messi had stepped out of the group with his Miami teammates halfway down the line. He took a deep breath and looked up to the sky as he was about to take his second penalty of the shootout.

But Callendar dove left and knocked Panicco’s effort away and Messi suddenly used the air in his lungs for a final sprint to his goalkeeper who had helped him crown the United States’ most remarkable first month with Miami’s first-ever trophy and the 44th of his incredible career – the most of anyone in the game.

There were parts of this game where Miami struggled. Spending big spells under pressure from Nashville, they were easily second best before Messi scored an excellent goal in the 23rd minute.

It was Walker Zimmerman, the US international and Nashville captain, who was fooled by Messi’s brilliance, but honestly it could have been Sergio Ramos who tried to stop him. Yet at 36 years old, the game has no answer as Messi’s eyes light up and that breath-taking instinct takes over.

Miami had attacked from the left and Robert Taylor’s pass went into Messi’s path. His first touch was poor, the ball almost squirming away from him, but it made what followed even more amazing as he hopped and stretched around Zimmerman before flinging the ball between two onrushing defenders into the top corner.

His 10th goal, his seventh game in Miami and eventually his first trophy in the United States, transformed a team that was winless in 11 games into Leagues Cup champions.

Miami is a place that loves its stars in a way – they want to see that extra flair and flamboyance, that extra pizzazz. Messi delivered that in bundles in his first month in Miami pink. But also a word for Sergio Busquets tenacity in this new Miami look, especially in the first 15 minutes when Nashville took control.

Cruelly enough, it was Zimmerman who came closest to scoring before Messi intervened. The American defender had a header cleverly saved by Drake Callendar in the 13th minute, as Nashville appeared to be growing in confidence while Miami, at least at the back, looked flustered.

But the Zimmerman opportunity seemed to be what Miami needed to be brought to life.

Taylor, the striker looking to take Messi one step further and lead this new era in Miami, came in to his right and struck with a powerful punch into the far corner that Elliot Panicco had to clear. Moments later, Messi showed him how to do it.

Nashville’s equalizer was the opposite of Messi’s stunner, but no one could have said they didn’t see it coming. Miami failed to clear a corner in the 57th minute and Fafa Picault’s header was deflected into goalkeeper Callendar by Benjamin Cremaschi and then over the line.

And Miami got nervous again, with the next two biggest stars as the most notable culprits. Jordi Alba completely misinterpreted a Messi run and passed the ball out of play before Busquets skipped a simple pass back to his left-back and went out for a throw-in. The Nashville fans reacted – they got a pinch of upset. It felt like it was on.

But then a warning shot. Messi took the ball wide on the right, hopped through to the center and fired a low shot against the post.

Nashville should have taken the lead on 77 – Major League Soccer’s MVP Hany Mukhtar escaped his marker for the first time on the night, beating Sam Surridge, Nashville’s new striker. Callendar came down low and made a brilliant save and the rebound, which landed at Mukhtar’s feet, was bundled wide by recovering Miami defender Sergii Kryvstov. It would prove to be crucial.

With three minutes left on the clock, either side could have won. Surridge turned a header to goal which Callendar equalized and then Busquets pumped the ball well into the path of substitute Leonardo Campana who raced through the goal with the cup final on his shoulders.

He deftly tried to tap the ball over Panicco, but the goalkeeper got something on it. Campano chased the rebound as the ball spun wide and lunged at full power to spin it towards goal, but could only hit the post.

The ball rolled out and the game went to penalties. Messi, Busquets and Alba scored theirs and Callendar did the rest.

Both teams entered MLS in 2020 looking for their first piece of silverware. For Nashville, Tennessee pride was also on the line. They could have been the first team to give this proud state a sports title in its history – the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators and Memphis Grizzlies are all still waiting for theirs.

Geodis Park, with a modest sell-out capacity of 30,109 seats, was well on its way to filling up more than an hour before kickoff and at $460 for a row Z ticket, who could blame the fans who are of any time want to enjoy? David Beckham came onto the field in the run-up and posed for photos with Victoria and the Mas brothers, his Miami co-owners, and waved to a corner of vociferous Miami fans tucked away in the top row above the tunnel.

About 20 feet from Beckham, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the NBA’s biggest stars and co-owner of Nashville, took a penalty shootout with his brother as if the field were their own backyard. Reese Witherspoon, another Nashville co-owner, smiled off the sidelines for the cameras and brought the game ball onto the field before kickoff.

The first glimpse of Messi leading his Miami team for the warm-up was met with fierce boos.

But Nashville is a place that knows a star when he sees one. The city that gave the world Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton leaned the stage to another star on Saturday night, one who is still teaching this country how incredible he is.

Yet long after the final whistle, thousands of fans were still waiting in their seats as Messi celebrated with Beckham and his wife, Antonela Riccuzzo, just to catch a glimpse of their star man. They will again face Cincinnati in the semifinals of the US Open on Wednesday.

Few would bet that Messi and the Beckhams have more to celebrate before the season is over.