FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi’s every move was on display in his Major League Soccer playoff debut.

Every touch. Every shot attempt. Even if he didn’t do anything at all, it was shown.

Everywhere in his team there was a “Messi camera” pointed at the Inter Miami superstar Playoff opening, 2-1 win against Atlanta United on Friday evening. Nothing but the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Live stream on the MLS TikTok account for the duration of the game.

It reflected the excitement surrounding Inter Miami, which grew in popularity with the arrival of Messi midway through the 2023 season.

The stadium was full of Messi fans and familiar faces, including the Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.former NFL player Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and actor Idris Elba.

“The Messi effect was great. “It was really great,” Johnson said said in a television interview. “From a global perspective, we have Messi here in the U.S. and the opportunity to grow the game as much as we’ve tried to grow the game and make it more popular here because we have so many different sports. … Above all, it was a pleasure for me to no longer have to travel to Spain to watch him play.”

Messi didn’t score but set up Jordi Alba’s assist green gate in the 60th minute. He had several chances, but they were thwarted by Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who made five saves to deny Messi on Friday night.

Inter Miami is the No. 1 seed in the playoffs after setting MLS records for points (74) and winning percentage (.765).

Messi, scored a hat trick in the regular season finale, is in the running for league MVP despite missing nearly half of the MLS season due to injuries and commitments with the Argentina national team. He finished the game with 20 goals and 16 assists. Luis Suarez also scored 20 goals, joining Messi as the first pair of MLS teammates to reach this milestone in a season.

The 37-year-old smiled and hugged his teammates as Suarez scored the opening goal less than two minutes into the game.

He was shown flying past a defender and, with a quick touch, fired a shot from outside the penalty area which Guzan pushed over the crossbar. He later put both hands on his head and looked up at the stands when Guzan blocked him again.

The fans stood for most of the first half. And those closest to the pitch leaned in as far as their arms would allow, cellphones outstretched, to take photos and videos of Messi as he approached.

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AP Football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer