Inter Miami CF celebrated team captain Lionel Messi on Friday night in the Noche d’Or, honoring him for securing his record eighth Ballon d’Or with a special ceremony at DRV PNK Stadium. The festivities were followed by a friendly against New York City FC to close out 2023, with the hosts narrowly falling 1-2. 
“I’ve only been here a little while but it really feels like I’ve been here a long time. I want to thank all the people of Miami, not only the ones here at the stadium, but in the city in general, for the way you have treated not only me, but also my family these last few months. You’ve shown me a lot of love and made me feel at home,” said Messi. “I had no doubt that we were going to have a good time, that we were going to enjoy it. Today I have no doubt, as I didn't at the beginning, and much less now, that next year is going to be a lot better. We are going to continue enjoying, we are going to continue winning titles and I hope you accompany us as you accompanied us all these months that I’ve been here.”
Messi joined the club, Inter Miami’s popularity has risen exponentially, along with the sale of pink and black Inter Miami No. 10 jerseys and viewership on Apple TV worldwide.
Messi helped Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup title in August, the club’s first championship in its short history. Inter Miami finished second in the U.S. Open Cup, but failed to make the MLS postseason.
"He's the main star of this match and we want to join him celebrating his eighth Ballon D'Or," Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said. "It's an opportunity also for us to compete. Even if it's a friendly it's an opportunity for the people and the fans to see Leo and his teammates on the field and say goodbye to the year."
Inter Miami was supposed to play a pair of games in China earlier this month, only to see that trip fall through because of what the team called "unforeseen circumstances." When that fell through, Inter Miami settled on another option — getting NYCFC to play the exhibition. Messi has been training with the team for much of the last two weeks, arriving at the team facility the morning after getting the Ballon D'Or in Paris.
The hosts got a goal back in the 81st minute when Busquets slipped a pass to substitute Robbie Robinson on the left side of the box. The American forward then struck a low left-footed shot with power past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to make it 1-2, which would hold as the final scoreline.
Inter Miami will now enter the offseason and set its sights on 2024, a campaign that will offer the team its first taste of continental competition in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
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