Lionel Messi swiftly bounced back from the 2026 World Cup final defeat, leading Inter Miami to a 4-2 victory over Mexico’s Atlético San Luis early Thursday morning in the Leagues Cup.
Returning to the starting lineup for the MLS side shortly after concluding his World Cup campaign with Argentina, the legendary forward delivered his first standout performance since returning to club duty.
Messi opened the scoring in the 11th minute before adding his second—and Inter Miami’s third—just before halftime, giving his side control following a challenging opening stretch.
Beyond his brace, the 39-year-old also provided an assist, finishing the match with three goal contributions to guide Inter Miami to a winning start in the tournament.
With these two goals, Messi became the all-time top scorer in Leagues Cup history with 14 goals in 12 matches, surpassing Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga (13 goals).
Messi holds fond memories of the competition, having led Inter Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup title—his first trophy with the club—where he also claimed the top scorer award with 10 goals.
