Lionel Messi made his return to club football in style as he marked his first start for Inter Miami since the 2026 World Cup with two goals and an assist. The Argentine led his side to a 4-2 victory over Atletico de San Luis in their Leagues Cup opener. The visitors took an early lead through David Rodríguez in the fourth minute at Nu Stadium. Messi equalised seven minutes later with a sharp first-time finish from Noah Allen’s cross.
Lionel Messi returns with brace; creates new record as Inter Miami opens Leagues Cup with 4-2 win
Telasco Segovia then put Miami ahead before Messi struck again in the 44th minute. The Argentine captain completed his direct involvement by delivering a corner that defender Micael headed home deep into first-half stoppage time. Rafa Llorente pulled a goal back for San Luis early in the second half, but Miami held on for the win despite a weather delay.
The performance came after Messi had appeared only as a substitute in Inter Miami’s previous MLS match following Argentina’s World Cup final defeat. The 39-year-old’s brace lifted him to the top of the all-time Leagues Cup scoring charts with 14 goals and took his career total to 921 goals. Inter Miami will look to build on the result when they continue their Leagues Cup campaign later this week.
Messi, the former FC Barcelona striker, is coming off losing the 2026 FIFA World Cup title as he failed to defend the title despite ending second in the goal scoring after Kylian Mbappe, who won the Golden Boot. Argentina was defeated by Spain 0-1 in the final as Ferran Torres scored to give the Spanish side its second World Cup title.
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