Watch as Messi dazzles off the bench with fantastic goal on MLS debut against New York Red Bulls

Lionel Messi has well and truly arrived into American soccer, with the Argentine superstar having wasted no time in making his presence felt since his headline-grabbing move from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami was made official in July.

Messi is undoubtedly the biggest star in MLS, and almost certainly the biggest the league has ever seen, and therefore all eyes are going to be on him as he looks to lift Miami from towards the bottom of the table into playoff contenders and, eventually, title challengers.

GOAL is here, then, to ensure you don't miss out on any of Messi's displays during his time in Miami, with United States writer Ryan Tolmich set to cast his eye over and give an evaluation on how Messi fares in each of his outings with his new club.

August 27: New York Red Bulls 0-2 Inter Miami, MLS

It was all set to be a quiet night. Starting on the bench due to fatigue, Messi's MLS debut would seemingly be just a cameo appearance. Miami were up a goal on the road by the time he was introduced in the 60th minute and would surely look to just see the game out.

Well, maybe not. This is Messi, after all. Even his most muted performances end with stunning goals.

Messi combined with youngster Benjamin Cremaschi to put a feather in Inter Miami's win as the two came together to score a Goal of the Week candidate. Jordi Alba made the sequence, to his credit, bicycling in a pass towards Messi, who proceeded to wiggle through the box with defenders all around. His pass to Cremaschi was fantastic, and the teenager's cutback to Messi was even better, leaving the Argentine with a simple tap-in for his first MLS goal.

In just 30 minutes, Messi had 23 touches, but it was that one on the end of Cremaschi's cross that mattered most. It sealed the result for Miami, kickstarting their Mission Impossible-like run towards the playoffs.

They'll need a lot more than just this one win, but it's a heck of a start. Messi and co. have dominated the cups, and now the rest of MLS is officially on notice as Miami look to start their run towards an unlikely postseason spot. Grade: A-

For his first regular season goal for the club ????

Cremaschi ▶️ Messi!#RBNYvMIA | 0-2 pic.twitter.com/jyzfCqMKwQ

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 27, 2023