Lionel Messi scored two first-half goals and assisted another in the second to lead Inter Miami to a 4-0 dismantling of Atlanta United and advance to the knockout stage of the Leagues Cup.
After coming off the bench to score a dramatic winner in his debut on Friday night, Messi wasted no time on his first start with the MLS side.
The Argentina captain received a pass from former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets and, after initially hitting the post, fired home the rebound to give Miami the lead in the eighth minute to roars of approval from the home crowd.
Messi celebrates the first of his two goals
Messi then slotted home a second in the 22nd minute when he connected with a cross from Robert Taylor, who notched a brace of his own on a hot night in Miami.
After scoring, Messi stopped and pointed towards Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who was watching the game. The gesture was met with a wide smile from the former Manchester United midfielder who helped lure Messi to the MLS despite a massive counter-offer from Saudi Arabia.
Atlanta’s best chance at getting on the scoreboard came with a late penalty from Thiago Almada, but Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender read it well to preserve the clean sheet.
Messi and fellow Argentinian Almada hugged when the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star was substituted in the 78th minute and the pair exchanged shirts after the match.
Messi came on as a substitute in Friday’s match against Cruz Azul and his set-piece winner deep into stoppage time made it a dream start in MLS for the 36-year-old, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion.
The win saw Miami top their group in the Leagues Cup tournament, which is a World Cup-style competition featuring all teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
