Messi scores twice as Inter Miami set Leagues Cup record against Atlético San Luis

Messi, who helped Miami win the 2023 crown in his first weeks with the Florida club, took his tally in the competition for Major League Soccer and Mexican Liga MX sides to a record 14 goals

Miami: Lionel Messi scored his first two goals since the World Cup and took the career scoring lead in the Leagues Cup as Inter Miami overcame an early deficit to beat Atlético San Luis 4-2 on a rainy night.The match at Nu Stadium was delayed 30 minutes in the second half because of lightning in the area. Six goals and plenty of action in Miami @InterMiamiCF opens #LeaguesCup2026 with a 4-2 win over @AtletideSanLuis pic.twitter.com/JKMw5HwYt0— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 6, 2026 Messi scored in the 11th and the 44th minutes. He has 14 goals in 12 Leagues Cup matches — one ahead of Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga for most in the tournament's four-year history.Telasco Segovia and defender Micael also scored, and Noah Allen had three assists as Inter Miami extended its unbeaten streak to eight matches.Messi delivers once again. ⚽Miami's 10 opens his #LeaguesCup2026 account with his 13th goal in Leagues Cup history! Watch now @InterMiamiCF vs. @AtletideSanLuis on Apple TV https://t.co/tms3b61AW0 pic.twitter.com/3lSQGXCMKv— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 5, 2026 Lionel Messi makes it 3-1 for @InterMiamiCF against @AtletideSanLuis✨Y se convierte provisionalmente en el máximo anotador histórico de Leagues Cup #LeaguesCup2026 pic.twitter.com/cAzUQyCF7l— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 6, 2026 Messi returned to Miami's starting lineup in his second match since the World Cup, where he led Argentina to its second straight final appearance before La Albiceleste lost 1-0 to Spain. The 39-year-old played 37 minutes as a substitute in a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday.Más goles (14) que partidos jugados (12) en Leagues Cup ⚽️Cosas de Lionel Messi pic.twitter.com/cgHSZv0ThS— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 6, 2026 After being held off the scoresheet against Columbus, it didn't take Messi long to make an impact on Wednesday. He fired a long cross from Allen past Andrés Sánchez to equalize after David Rodríguez put San Luis ahead with a header four minutes into the match. Messi finished from close range later in the first half and assisted on Micael's header in stoppage time.Rafa Llorente also scored for San Luis.'Hey Messi': Lionel Messi's Classy Gesture During Surprise Fan Encounter Takes Over Social Media | Video Messi led Miami to the Leagues Cup title in 2023 shortly after his arrival with the club. Inter Miami reached the final again last year, losing 3-0 to Seattle in a match that ended with a brawl involving Luis Suárez. The veteran forward appeared to spit toward a member of the Sounders' staff and grabbed at least one Seattle player by the neck during the melee, resulting in a six-match tournament suspension.That means Suárez, who has seven goals in the past four matches, was not available Wednesday and will not play in this year's tournament.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Lionel Messi becomes the competition's record goalscorer after scoring in the 4-2 win over Atletico San Luis.

Lionel Messi scored twice on Wednesday to become the Leagues Cup's record goalscorer as Inter Miami beat Atletico San Luis 4-2 at home in the 2026 edition's opening group matches.Other Leagues Cup matches on Wednesday saw Dallas beat Queretaro 2-0 and Leon won 1-0 at Nashville. js/dh

Lionel Messi didn't skip a beat after his historic 2026 World Cup and scored two goals in Leagues Cup play for Inter Miami, giving him another record.