Messi nets another goal as Inter Miami dominates Charlotte 4-0, advances to Leagues Cup Semifinals.
Lionel Messi Continues His Goalscoring Streak as Inter Miami Keeps Winning
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Lionel Messi’s incredible goalscoring streak lives on, and so does Inter Miami’s winning streak.
In a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Friday night, Messi scored in the 86th minute, marking his eighth goal in just five matches with his new club. Inter Miami dominated the game, defeating Charlotte 4–0.
The goal was a result of a brilliant pass from Leonardo Campana, who skillfully split two defenders from the low left of the penalty area. Messi redirected the pass past another defender and into the wide-open net. He then celebrated by jumping into Campana’s arms with a wide smile on his face.
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“When you have Messi, you know he just needs a chance. He just needs one second,” said Charlotte coach Christian Lattanzio. “You have to be very sharp to stop him from producing the magic he’s been displaying since he went to Barcelona at the age of 16.”
Messi has now scored in all five of his appearances with Miami. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who led Argentina to victory in the World Cup last year, has yet to lose a match with Miami. They have emerged as winners in all five matchups so far in the Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring 47 teams from MLS and Mexico’s top league.
Next up for Messi and his new club is a semifinal match against Philadelphia on Tuesday. Philadelphia secured their spot by defeating Queretaro 2–1.
Messi surpassed Minnesota’s Bongokuhle Hlongwane as the leading goalscorer in the Leagues Cup. Both players entered Friday’s match with seven goals in four matches. Unfortunately, Minnesota was eliminated with a 5–0 loss to Nashville.
Josef Martinez and Robert Thomas also contributed goals for Miami. Additionally, Messi’s relentless pressure on the opposition resulted in an own goal late in the second half. Finally, Messi sealed the victory with a perfect goal in the final moments.
This was the second consecutive game and the third time in four outings that Miami scored four goals. It is a remarkable turnaround for a team that was in last place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
“It’s beautiful to play with each other again,” said midfielder Sergio Busquets, who was a former teammate of Messi’s at Barcelona.
Despite the competition from other sporting events in South Florida, Inter Miami still managed to attract close to a sellout crowd of 22,000 at DRV PNK Stadium. The Miami Dolphins were playing their preseason opener, the Miami Marlins were hosting the New York Yankees, and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was headlining a pro-am league championship game in a packed high school gym. However, Messi-mania prevailed, as expected. The fans wearing their new pink No. 10 jerseys left the stadium happy once again, a stark contrast to the struggles Inter Miami faced before the arrival of Messi.
Before Messi joined, Inter Miami had only won five out of 22 MLS matches this season. But with Messi on board, they have won all five of their Leagues Cup matches and are now just two wins away from claiming the trophy. The team’s transformation has been remarkable since the arrival of Messi, Busquets, Jordi Alba, and coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
“This Miami team is completely transformed,” Lattanzio acknowledged.
Messi had his first good chance 30 minutes into the match, with some impressive short passes on the left side.
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