Lionel Messi fulfills the promise of a dazzling debut to mark the most anticipated match in MLS in 16 years – even from the bench – but is his magic enough to perform the miracle Inter Miami needs to make the playoffs?

Everyone kept their side of the deal. Everyone contributed to the most anticipated game in Major League Soccer in 16 years.

Supporters paid through the nose for their place on the show; Times Square reserved one of its giant screens to broadcast the action live; Street vendors stocked up on hats, sweaters, and fridge magnets. MLS, Apple and Adidas had all put their heads together to make nights like this possible. Even New York Red Bulls rolled out the red carpet. For Inter Miami’s visit, the club opened the stadium early and turned up the volume with fireworks and a Run DMC show.

The only problem? Tata Martino was not in the mood for a party. The Miami manager’s English is patchy at best, but the chants that swept through the Red Bull Arena needed no translation. ‘We want Messi’ was buzzing around here from the sixth minute until just before the hour mark, when a record crowd finally got their wish and the 36-year-old emerged from the substitutes’ bench for his MLS debut.

Messi then made them wait a bit longer – his first pass went astray; a free kick clattered against the wall; Most of his 30-minute cameo was played at a walking pace.

All the magic and all his belated exploits had to come to an end at some point and until the 89th minute it looked like this would be the night when normalcy would reign.

But no. The show continues. Sergio Busquets, also from the bench, gave a pass towards Jordi Alba. Somehow the left-back threw himself into the air and shot the ball into Messi’s feet. He did the rest. Messi beat one defender, he drew two more and then grabbed a pass that only he could see. Fellow substitute Benjamin Cremaschi raced over before returning the favour, allowing Messi to hit the ball into an empty net and clinch a 2-0 win with a touch of brilliance.

Suddenly everyone could go home happy. Suddenly, a night in danger of dying ended with a sparkle.

Martino had hinted that Messi would need a break after a whirlwind first month in Miami. In 36 days, the 36-year-old had played eight games in which he collected ten goals, one trophy and more than 700 minutes of playing time. Martino understood what he had to do. He just didn’t like romance or show. Well, at least not enough to endanger Messi from the start. Not when the 36-year-old was approaching his physical ‘limit’. Never mind that some tickets sold for over $20,000. Never mind that the MLS had been waiting for a night of this memorable one since David Beckham’s LA Galaxy debut in 2007. Never mind that the Red Bull Arena was awash in pink and Argentina’s blue and white. Never mind that Inter Miami’s hopes of reaching the playoffs were hanging by a thread.

Messi didn’t even warm up on the field. Instead, when his eyes were directed elsewhere, he shuffled out of the tunnel to sit on the bench. Of Martino’s holy trinity, only Jordi Alba started this victory, which could mean a late sprint for the postseason.

Too bad Leonardo Campana. A deafening racket greeted the news that his evening was over. He made way for Messi and Sergio Busquets came a little later.

As always, the 36-year-old came alive as soon as the ball was at his feet, just like in this stadium. Every touch caused a new wave through this stadium. A new era of MLS had finally arrived.

Six weeks had passed since Inter Miami last played a league game. That night, Martino’s team traveled to St. Louis City just hours after Messi’s transfer was made official.

Miami was beaten 3-0. It was Martino’s first game in charge and meant the team had gone 11 MLS games without a win. Since then everything has changed and yet everything has remained the same.

By the time the team bus pulled into Harrison last night, Miami was still bottom of the Eastern Conference. The number of points (18) was still the lowest of all teams in the MLS.

The challenge of reaching the playoffs remains a huge challenge.

Everything we needed to know? Whether that glorious mid-season break – when Messi, Busquets and Alba arrived in Florida and led Miami to victory in the League Cup – was a brief respite from reality or the beginning of a new normal. There has definitely been a shift in the locker room. Now a new phenomenon had occurred: players came to games believing they would win. The bookmakers were also convinced. Despite having the worst record in the league, Miami is the third favorite to win the MLS Cup.

To reach the playoffs, Martino’s side had to make up the 14-point deficit with only 12 games remaining. This marked step one, but it will still take a miracle – even for a team that has spent weeks in dreamland.

Not that many supporters here cared about the bigger picture.

Fans hadn’t emptied their pockets to get a glimpse of Miami’s title claim.

Sellers didn’t slap jerseys and bucket hats in tribute to the MLS playoff race.

There was only name on everyone’s lips and on the shirts of most supporters. Even players from the Red Bulls academy were filmed singing to Messi.

Little wonder, then, that the stadium announcer in this corner of New Jersey waited until a few minutes before kickoff to confirm the bad news: the wait for the MLS World Cup winner would continue.

That didn’t stop the crowd from singing for Messi all the time. It didn’t stop supporters from getting up – and turning up the volume – as he and the rest of Martino’s substitutes began to warm up shortly after half-time.

By then, Miami was ahead through Diego Gomez’s first-half goal. But this game was an afterthought, even before Messi walked down the sidelines and waved to the crowd as he made the moves.

It also barely got out of first gear after being turned on. But that didn’t stop him from stealing the show again.