Lionel Messi swiftly returned to his favorite pastime with Inter Miami, scoring a brace to lead his side to a resounding 4-0 victory over DC United in Major League Soccer.
The Argentine star’s brilliance came in his first appearance for his club following the curtain coming down on his international career with the Argentina national team, turning his return to the United States into a fresh celebration at Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami took an early lead through Luis Suárez in the 3rd minute, before the Uruguayan striker added the second in the 39th minute, capitalizing on two assists from Germán Berterame.
The scoring duties shifted to Messi after the interval, as he netted the third in the 47th minute from a Suárez assist, before weaving past two defenders to slot Rodrigo De Paul’s pass home with his trademark left foot in the 60th minute.
The brace raised Messi’s tally to 934 official goals in 1,179 matches throughout his professional career, keeping the 39-year-old chasing the 1,000-goal barrier and narrowing the gap with Cristiano Ronaldo to 46 goals.
The Inter Miami captain reached 23 goals in MLS this season, claiming sole possession of the top scorer’s spot alongside 13 assists that place him second in the league’s assist charts, keeping him a strong candidate to win the MVP award for the third consecutive season.
The victory ended a run of five consecutive matches without a win for Inter Miami, lifting the team to 49 points from 28 matches and moving them up to second place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Chicago Fire.
Messi’s return to scoring form comes just four days after his farewell match with Argentina against Benin, where he scored and provided two assists in a 3-0 win, while Inter Miami prepare to host New York City on Wednesday as they continue their defense of their title.
