TAMPA, Fla. — The final preseason match between Inter Miami and Orlando City ended in a tie, but the results didn’t really matter to the fans who showed up to see a superstar up close and personal.

What You Need To Know

  • Orlando City and Inter Miami's final preseason match ended in a tied score at Raymond James Stadium Friday night

  • Soccer fans showed up to watch Lionel Messi take the field

  • Messi has played in all of Inter Miami’s preseason games, a good sign of the amount of time he will play when the MLS regular season kicks off in two weeks

  •  Attendance for the preseason game was 42,017, the largest to ever watch a soccer game at Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa played host to different kind of football.

Both teams got ready for when the action counts for real. But the fans who showed up to watch the match didn’t care that this was just a preseason match: they cared that Lionel Messi was on the field.

“We tried to do our game, but it’s not a secret that we’re playing against the best in the world,” said Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja.

You could tell by all the pink No. 10 jerseys in the stands who the fans came to see. They came to see Messi.

And the man who is arguably the greatest to ever play the game didn’t disappoint.

He played to the crowd during warmups, and he played in the match. Messi got some significant minutes in the match against Orlando City. Messi has played in all of Inter Miami’s preseason games, a good sign of the amount of time he will play when the MLS regular season kicks off in two weeks. 

“The dynamic of the game was as close to simulation that we could do to our season ball, so we’re happy with the performance,” Pareja said.

And the teams were happy with the atmosphere. An announced crowd of 42,017 — the largest to ever watch a soccer game at Raymond James Stadium. What a difference a GOAT makes.

“I liked to see the people here, the stadium, and how much this sport has grown in America,” Pareja said.