Lionel Messi scored his first two goals since the World Cup, including one that gave him the career scoring lead in the Leagues Cup, as Inter Miami defeated Atlético San Luis 4-2 on Wednesday night. The match, held at Nu Stadium, experienced a 30-minute delay in the second half due to lightning.
Messi found the back of the net in the 11th and 44th minutes. His goals bring his Leagues Cup total to 14 in 12 matches, surpassing Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC by one goal for the most in the tournament's four-year history.
Inter Miami's other goals came from Telasco Segovia and defender Micael. Noah Allen contributed three assists to the team's performance, which extended Inter Miami's unbeaten streak to eight matches.
This marked Messi's second match back in the starting lineup since leading Argentina in the World Cup. He had played 37 minutes as a substitute in a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday, after which he was held scoreless.
On Wednesday, Messi equalized the score four minutes after David Rodríguez put San Luis ahead, by firing a long cross from Allen past goalkeeper Andrés Sánchez. Later in the first half, Messi scored from close range and then assisted on Micael's header in stoppage time. Rafa Llorente scored the other goal for San Luis.
Messi was instrumental in leading Miami to the Leagues Cup title in 2023, shortly after his arrival. The team reached the final again last year but lost 3-0 to Seattle. That final was marred by an incident involving veteran forward Luis Suárez, who received a six-match tournament suspension for his actions during a brawl. Suárez, who has scored seven goals in Inter Miami's last four matches, was unavailable for Wednesday's game and will miss the remainder of this year's tournament.