Lionel Messi backlash as football fans turn on Inter Miami star for goal celebration
Lionel Messi produced a 'Wakanda Forever' goal celebration after scoring for Inter Miami
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Fans on social media have slammed Lionel Messi after the Inter Miami star produced a 'Wakanda Forever' goal celebration.
The 36-year-old has scored five goals from just three MLS matches since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer.
Messi has arrived to drag Inter Miami up the table, with David Beckham's side winning just two matches prior to his arrival.
He has made an immediate impact, however, with the former Barcelona star helping the American side win all three of their matches since his arrival.
Lionel Messi mimicked Chadwick Boseman with his Inter Miami goal celebration
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In a recent match against Orlando, Messi celebrated by doing the 'Wakanda Forever' goal celebration.
The veteran mimicked late actor Chadwick Boseman, who performed the gesture in 2018 Marvel movie 'Black Panther'.
Yet many fans on Twitter weren't impressed.
One said 'he's so cringe' while accompanying their post with two laughing emojis.
Another said 'bro thinks he’s cold' while also including a laughing emoji.
A third simply called the act 'cringe' with over one thousand users liking that message.
A fourth stated 'Messi trying to stay relevant in the McDonalds league' with two laughing emojis attached.
Another fan opined: "Bro seriously looking for a trademark celebration."
And a sixth fan said: "Bro was in America for one day bro and became a geek."
Messi is unlikely to care, however.
The Inter Miami star has arrived with nothing left to prove having won every big trophy for club and country over the course of his stunning career.
Many had expected Messi to return to Barcelona this summer, particularly in the wake of the Catalan giants' La Liga triumph.
Xavi's side cruised to the trophy last year, dethroning fierce rivals Real Madrid as champions in the process.
However, when it became apparent that Barcelona didn't have the finances to re-sign Messi, he then opted to strut his stuff in America instead.
Explaining his move back in June, the Argentina international said: “The truth is that I had offers from another European team, but I didn't even evaluate it because in Europe my only idea was to go to Barcelona.
“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the United States League to live football differently.
“I want to enjoy more the day to day. Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to want to win and to always do things well. But more calmly.”
On his previous desire to return to Barcelona, Messi added: “I wanted to return to Barcelona but I did not want to leave my future hanging in the hands of other people.
"I heard that they [Barca] had to sell players or lower players' salaries and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that."
Messi also had an offer to move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, who were ready to break the bank in order to acquire his signature.
Explaining his decision to reject that offer, he said: “If it had been a matter of money, I’d have gone to Arabia or elsewhere.
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Lionel Messi has dazzled for Inter Miami since moving to MLS
"It seemed like a lot of money to me. The truth is that my final decision goes elsewhere and not because of money."