After a cinematic debut against Cruz Azul, Lionel Messi continued his scoring form against Atlanta United. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a brace and registered an assist as Inter Miami thrashed Atlanta United 4-0. Once the scoreline seemed secure, the G.O.A.T was subbed.

The former Barcelona man left the pitch with a full house standing ovation. But once Messi left the pitch, so did hundreds of fans with nearly 15 minutes remaining. This drew the ire of Miami Head Coach Tata Martino.

Tata Martino lashes out at fans after they left the stadium once Lionel Messi was subbed off

Every time Lionel Messi plays, people travel and spend vociferously to catch a glimpse of him in the flesh. For many, watching Messi is an achievement. After all, he is amongst the greatest players of all time in the history of the sport. But does that mean you leave the stadium once he gets subbed off and disrespect the rest of the team?

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No. It’s extremely disrespectful to the rest of the team because it sends the wrong message that a player is above the team. Once Lionel Messi was subbed off in the 78th minute today, so did hundreds of fans.

While it’s totally understandable that Messi is the selling point, coach Martino believed that fans could stay back for 12 minutes more and applaud the entire team for their magnificent performance. “I understand that people left when Messi came out, but I expected them to stay until the end to applaud the team,” complained the gaffer. 

Inter Miami thrash Atlanta United 4-0; qualify for the knock-out round of the Leagues Cup

Lionel Messi & co pulled off a stunning performance against Atlanta United. The performance was completely dominant as Miami created, controlled the finished the match on their own terms.

New signings Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi controlled the tempo of the match like the ball was glued to their foot. This helped Miami retain possession and create better chances for Robert Taylor and Leo who finished them well.

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​​”Our team circulated the ball very well in the first half. An opponent can prepare in a certain way, but these two players create their own space,” said Miami coach Tata Martino praising the press resistance to his latest signings. 

Now that Miami has qualified for the knockout rounds of the Leagues Cup; do you see them going all the way and winning it? Drop your predictions in the comments below!