Lionel

Lionel Messi scored twice in Inter Miami’s 4-0 MLS win over Atlanta United, a day after being rested by Argentina for their friendly against Venezuela.

Argentina captain Messi, 38, was called up for Friday’s match against Venezuela at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, home of NFL side the Miami Dolphins, and Tuesday’s game against Puerto Rico, which has been relocated from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale.

With the MLS continuing during the international break it was not clear if Messi would play for Inter Miami on Saturday in their penultimate regular season match.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner trained with Argentina during the week but watched Friday’s match – which Argentina won 1-0 – from the stands, with national boss Lionel Scaloni saying he wanted to see Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez play together.

Miami boss Javier Mascherano said they asked for Messi to leave the national set-up to play in their home match and he started against Atlanta, curling in his opener in the 39th minute and adding his second in the 87th to take him to the top of the MLS scoring charts with 26 goals.

He also assisted Jordi Alba’s second-half strike, while Luis Suarez scored Miami’s other goal.

“Yesterday, before the match, I talked to [Argentina manager Lionel] Scaloni, and he said no, that he was not going to use him, that he was going to sit him down. And I spoke to Leo to see if he could play,” said Mascherano.

“It was his decision, and clearly he saw the opportunity that if he wasn’t going to play against Venezuela yesterday, we could use him. Leo, of course, was ready to do it.

“He is a very special player, he’s an icon, and even though he didn’t train last week with us, we saw what he did today. He has helped us to win, he managed to score. That for him was important.”

Inter are already guaranteed a play-off spot and sit third in the eastern conference, tied on points with second-placed FC Cincinnati.

Messi’s dominant performance against Atlanta came after he briefly left international duty with Argentina during the FIFA window.

Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted on another by Jordi Alba to lead Inter Miami to a 4-0 home victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night in Major League Soccer (MLS) at Chase Stadium in Florida.

Messi, who sat out his home nation, Argentina’s, friendly against Venezuela that was held in Miami one night earlier, started and helped Inter Miami (18-7-8, 62 points) guarantee itself at least the No 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with the victory.

The Herons still have a chance to secure the No 2 seed if they can finish with more points than FC Cincinnati, which also has 62 points. If the teams finish with the same number of points, Cincinnati would clinch the higher seed by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Atlanta United (5-16-12, 27 points), which eliminated Inter Miami from the MLS playoffs in the first round last season, lost its third match in a row and is winless in its past five.

Both teams were short-handed due to the FIFA international window this week. But Messi, who chose to play for club over country this weekend, now leads the MLS in goals, with 26, and his 18th assist tied San Diego’s Anders Dreyer for the league lead.

Messi’s first goal came in the 39th minute when he controlled a crossing pass from Baltasar Rodriguez and curled in a shot to the far top corner to break a scoreless deadlock. His second goal capped the scoring in the 87th minute off an assist from Alba.

In the 52nd minute, Messi created the chance that led to Miami’s second score, when he looped a long ball across the field to Alba as he surged towards Atlanta’s goal. Alba did the rest, lobbing the ball over Atlanta keeper Jayden Hibbert.

Luis Suarez added to the tally in the 61st minute, when he timed a shot perfectly off a high clearance attempt by Atlanta into the back of the net, curling the ball past Hibbert. Inter Miami’s Rocco Rios Novo started in goal and recorded the clean sheet.

Atlanta United, which has been riddled with injuries to key players this season, had to deal with another when, in the 14th minute, Stian Gregersen was forced to leave the game with what appeared to be a potential hamstring issue.

Saturday’s fixture was the final MLS regular-season match at Chase Stadium for Inter, with the team relocating to Miami Freedom Park in 2026.

HE IS the English striker formerly of Stoke, Yeovil and Weymouth in a  shootout for the MLS Golden Boot with Lionel Messi.

Sam Surridge, now of Nashville SC, is on 23 league strikes, just one behind the Greatest Of All Time — as well as LAFC’s Denis Bouanga — in the Stateside goalscoring stakes.

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The ex-England Under-21 international has the odds stacked against him as he has only one game left to take the crown, as opposed to Messi’s two and Bouanga’s three.

And, in an exciting twist of fixture fate, that solitary match is at home to the iconic Argentinian’s Inter Miami a week today.

Yet Surridge, who played in the Premier League with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, told SunSport: “I’ve probably got to get a hat-trick so it’s not going to be easy.

“But at the same time I’ll always back myself to score and it would be an amazing achievement.

“We’re fighting at a really good point in our league. We just won the cup and we need to get into the top four to get a good play-off spot.

“I’ll do as much as I can to do it.

“It’s great. Just to mention my name along with his is a huge achievement.”

Berkshire-born Surridge came through the ranks at Bournemouth under Eddie Howe and had formative lower-league loans at Weymouth, Poole Town, Yeovil, Oldham and Swansea.

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He had a half a season at Stoke before moving to  Forest, where he played 20 Premier League games in 2022-23 but netted only once.

His world has changed completely, however, since moving to the other side of the Pond in 2023.

He is now the main man with Tennessee side Nashville.

Though he has Messi to thank for convincing him to make the revitalising switch in the first place.

Surridge will hope his upcoming meeting with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner goes better than the last one, when Miami won 2-1 thanks to Messi’s double — including a sublime free-kick.

The 27-year-old added: “At first I didn’t want to come here because I just wanted to stay in England.

“But then I saw Messi join Inter Miami and I knew they were going to host the World Cup and the size of the league was going to grow.

“Since I’ve been here, the standard has been getting better and better every year.

“Going into that game against Miami in July, we were on a ten-game unbeaten streak, I was on 16, he was on 14.

‘IT WAS CRAZY’

“I remember we gave a foul away on the edge of the box and you just knew he was going to score from it.

“It was crazy — you knew exactly where he was going to put the ball. And he did.

“You’re trying to focus on the game but at the same time you know he’s playing. It’s not easy.

“He is coming to the end of his career but he only won the Ballon d’Or two years ago.”

Surridge has been relishing his role as Nashville’s go-to guy up top and recently scored the match-winning goal to clinch the US Open Cup — America’s equivalent of the FA Cup.

It was the first piece of silverware in Tennessee in a long time, although Surridge was sent off right at the end of the game for two late yellows.

Surridge puts his inspired form in part down to the recent birth of son Noah.

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He added: “In the past, I’ve probably let it eat me up when I’ve had a bad game or not scored a goal.

“But now as one game is gone, I’m straight on to the next, back home with my family and being a dad.

“That’s a massive factor (in my form) this season, giving me that renewed focus.” Surridge is experiencing week in, week out the soaring temperatures that Harry Kane and the rest of the England team will have to deal with at the World Cup next summer.

And forward Surridge, who played with the likes of Marc Guehi for the Young Lions, said: “I know England are going to find it hard to cope with the weather over here because it’s not easy adjusting to it.

“There’s going to be a lot of South American teams that are used to it.

“Especially when you go to places like Miami, and places more south of Nashville, it’s not easy to play in the heat. There’s going to be a lot of toing and froing, sitting off and trying to break teams down.

“They should be pushing the games back because we play at 7pm most games and it’s still ridiculously hot.

“At the Club World Cup, I’ve seen them play at games at 2pm and 3pm in the 30-degree heat and it’s almost impossible.”

‘PICKING THE MOMENTS’

So what would his advice be for Thomas Tuchel’s side braving the heat?

The striker replied: “It’s not saving yourself in games, it’s more about picking the moments.

“Because as soon as you get into a full-on sprint in that heat, it’s hard to get your breath back.

“I think managers will set up their teams differently for that reason.

“You see pressing teams where they’re full-on pressing and, as soon as they break down, they’re going to struggle.

“It’s about conserving your energy where you can.”

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Max Bretos is a soccer broadcaster who has witnessed all the big arrivals in MLS, from David Beckham to Lionel Messi, and believes Son’s immediate acclimatisation makes his arrival unique.

“He landed on a Tuesday. On Wednesday he had the introductory press conference, and his visa process went through quickly, so by Friday he was on his way to Chicago to play his first game,” says Bretos.

“Then he played in the game, off the bench, and you could see it there. His second game was in New England, where they play on [artificial] turf. Generally, when the big stars arrive, they don’t want to put them on turf right away, for obvious reasons, but he started, played 90 minutes and assisted a goal.

“He’s played every game, and he’s played almost every minute of every game. This is unheard of. He was on the field immediately, and you can see the reaction of his team-mates – they loved him. It’s like he’d already been there for months.”

Big signings in MLS can often become the defining aspect of the franchise they join as everything becomes all about one player, but this has not been the case in LA.

“If a player like Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in MLS, he would move the needle in many ways, but if he arrived it kind of becomes his club,” adds Bretos.

“Much like in Miami with Messi – which is fine. But I think LAFC maintains its identity as Son Heung-min just blends into it, which I think is what he wanted. It’s a perfect marriage.”

A good example of this teamwork is the form of forward Denis Bouanga.

Since Son’s arrival, Gabon international Bouanga has scored 11 goals in nine games. This run has made him the first player with three consecutive 20-goal seasons in MLS, and put him level with Messi at the top of the 2025 Golden Boot race.

Between them, Son and Bouanga have scored LAFC’s past 18 goals, and with the end-of-season MLS Cup play-offs just around the corner, there are now shouts that LAFC could win it.

A trio of assists by star forward Lionel Messi helped Inter Miami crush New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.

Jordi Alba and Tadeo Allende each scored two goals to lead host Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Saturday night’s victory snapped a two-match winless streak for Inter Miami (17-7-8, 59 points), which moved into third place in the Eastern Conference’s Major League Soccer (MLS) standings. With two matches to play, Miami trails FC Cincinnati by three points for second place. Cincinnati has one match left.

Dor Turgeman scored the lone goal for New England (9-16-8, 35 points) as the Revolution came up short for the fifth time in their past six matches.

Argentinian star forward Lionel Messi did not score for the second consecutive match, but he contributed by assisting on three of Inter Miami’s goals.

On the first goal contribution under a torrential downspout late in the first half, Messi delivered a precise through ball on the run to Allende, who fired the ball past New England goalkeeper Matt Turner in the 32nd minute.

Just before half-time, Messi intercepted a clearing attempt by New England near its own goal. He then dropped it back for Alba, who proceeded to bury it in the back of the net in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.

The Revolution put themselves back in contention for a victory in the 59th minute on a brilliant shot by Turgeman after he took the ball just past midfield from Carles Gil. As Turgeman worked the ball near Miami’s box, he fired a line drive past Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Rios Novo got the start in favour of Inter Miami’s regular starting keeper Oscar Ustari, who allowed a season-high five goals last Tuesday in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Fire.

Inter Miami answered almost immediately. Within less than a minute, a rush up the field ended with Allende streaking towards the goal and finishing off another assist from Messi.

Three minutes later, Alba tacked on another score off a great pass from Telasco Segovia.

A Luis Suarez brace against the Tigres was enough for Miami to overcome Messi’s injury and progress to semifinal.

Luis Suarez scored twice on penalty kicks and Inter Miami overcame Lionel Messi’s absence to beat the Tigres UANL from Mexico 2-1 in a Leagues Cup quarterfinal.

After leading his team to victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, Messi did not train ahead of the Wednesday night game.

“We all go off what Messi is feeling. Today, [coach] Javier [Mascherano] spoke with him, and he wasn’t feeling the best. We preferred to not risk him, and take a step back,” Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales told reporters after the game.

Suarez converted his first penalty after Jordi Alba’s cross hit the arm of sliding Tigres defender Javier Aquino.

Angel Correa scored for the Tigres in the 67th minute, slicing through the defence for the equaliser.

Then, the ball once again hit Aquino’s arm in the box, and Suarez scored the match-winner from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.

A late header from the Tigres’ Edgar Lopez ricocheted off both posts.

Mascherano was given a red card before the second half began. The Inter Miami coach was seen talking on the phone during the live television broadcast and giving instructions after being sent off, which is prohibited per Leagues Cup rules.

“We were complaining about the time. They said four minutes [off added time], and we ended up playing like six,” Morales said.

“I didn’t see what was going on. To be honest, a lot of things happened on the bench,” Morales said when asked about Mascherano giving instructions by phone.

Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba left early in the second half after hurting his lower leg in a collision late in the first.

“We don’t have the medical report yet, but from what I understand, he took a hit to the knee.”

Miami booked a semifinal Leagues Cup clash with Florida rivals Orlando City, who beat the Liga MX champions Toluca FC 6-5 on penalties after the teams played to a scoreless draw in Carson, California.

Both finalists and the third-place match winner of the tournament will qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup, with the Leagues Cup champion securing direct entry to the Champions Cup round of 16.

The Argentinian superstar returns from injury to score a goal and add an assist as Inter downs Galaxy at Chase Stadium.

Lionel Messi returned from injury as a reserve and scored in the 84th minute to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the defending Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions, Los Angeles Galaxy.

The iconic 38-year-old Argentinian striker was back on the field on Saturday for Miami after suffering what Inter coach Javier Mascherano had called a “minor muscle injury” – an apparent hamstring strain – in Inter’s Leagues Cup victory over Mexican side Necaxa on August 2.

“It had been something very small,” Mascherano said of his injury after the match. “The three training sessions we had were good. The important thing is that the match ended. As the minutes went by, I saw him better. We have to see how he feels tomorrow.”

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who missed a Leagues Cup win over Pumas UNAM and last weekend’s MLS loss at Orlando City, was on the bench as a reserve before entering in the second half, replacing Telasco Segovia.

“We had planned the match to give minutes to Leo [Messi]. The idea was to give him 45 minutes so that he can find sensations,” Mascherano said. “I didn’t see him after the game. Tomorrow, we’ll see what feelings he had.

“He’s an extraordinary player. I saw that he was clearly not 100 percent comfortable, but as the minutes went by, he was loosening up more and more. We will have to see how he ended with the fatigue.”

Jordi Alba scored for Miami in the 43rd minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalised for the Galaxy in the 59th minute.

Messi dominates late

Messi’s brilliant goal six minutes from full-time – a thunderous left foot strike fired from the edge of the penalty area that caromed off the bottom corner of the net – restored the lead for Miami.

He then put the victory beyond doubt with a sensational 89th-minute assist to teammate Luis Suarez, who put the home side ahead 3-1.

Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, has 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 MLS appearances for Miami this season.

He also has the Herons into the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, which they won in 2023, just after Messi’s arrival. Miami will play the Tigres in a Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.

“He wants to play every single game,” Mascherano said. “You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes, we try to explain him that we have to go slowly, but when he feels good, he knows himself like no one. In the end, we tried to give him some minutes today to start having good feelings for Wednesday.”

Inter Miami rank fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference, six points behind MLS leaders Philadelphia, but with three matches in hand.

The Argentinian superstar extends his multigoal record run with a brace against Nashville at Chase Stadium.

Lionel Messi has extended his MLS-record scoring streak with two more goals, which made the difference in a 2-1 victory for hosts Inter Miami over Nashville SC in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The 38-year-old’s brace on Saturday helped Inter Miami (11-3-5, 38 points) snap a club-record 15-game unbeaten streak across all competitions for Nashville (12-5-5, 41 points), which lost for the first time since April 19 at Seattle.

Messi scored two or more goals for the fifth consecutive time in an MLS match, which is a league record.

Inter Miami improved to 4-0-1 in its last five matches with Nashville while also winning their fifth consecutive MLS match overall. Miami has won three in a row since it was eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup on June 29.

Messi capitalised on a major mistake by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to strike for what turned out to be the match-winning goal in the 62nd minute. Willis chested a ball and tried to clear it out of his zone but kicked it right in Messi’s direction.

Messi intercepted it with his left foot, then worked the ball around Willis and fired it home to put Miami ahead for good.

The goal came 13 minutes after Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar tied the game at 1-1 with a perfectly timed header off a pinpoint cross from distance by Andy Najar. It was Mukhtar’s 10th goal of the season. Patrick Yazbek also had an assist.

Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute on another spectacular free-kick score. Messi fired a ball precisely through a gap in the wall set up by Nashville’s defenders, and it found the mark just out of the reach of a diving Willis.

Messi with his 16 goals this season is tied for the most in the league with Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who was kept off the scoresheet on Saturday. Messi has 23 goal contributions in MLS games this season and has 22 goals across all competitions.

Each side returns to action on Wednesday as Inter Miami will play at Cincinnati and Nashville will host Columbus.

Few things are as inevitable as the ball hitting the back of the net when Lionel Messi sizes up the target before executing a free-kick from 20 yards.

Messi reminded world football – if we even needed a reminder – that he is still capable of delivering special moments during Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Porto at the Fifa Club World Cup.

The 37-year-old’s free-kick was vintage, trademark, and there was nothing goalkeeper Claudio Ramos could do to save it.

This is, of course, a man who scored an eye-watering 73 goals in 60 appearances across all competitions during the 2011-12 season for Barcelona.

Standing centrally and on the edge of the D, the goal was at Messi’s mercy, but he elected for the more difficult of the two options – going both over the wall and to the goalkeeper’s side.

With that strike his 68th goal from direct free-kicks, Messi certainly has no shortage of experience and doesn’t lack in anything when it comes to confidence.

Only Juninho Pernambucano (77), who spent most of his career with Lyon and Pele (70) have scored more direct free-kicks than Messi.

“Touched by God, isn’t he? Incredible. What a player,” former Portugal defender Jose Fonte said on Dazn.

“If you get a chance to go see this guy live – you go and see him. This is what he does,” ex-Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given added on Dazn.

“It’s nearly like a penalty for him – he is so precise. He is a genius.

“You call him maestro, magician, the words run out.”

Messi’s strike followed another stunning finish from team-mate Telasco Segovia and completed a comeback victory to put Inter Miami firmly in the running for a spot in the last 16 at the Club World Cup.

It is the first time the MLS franchise have won a game at the competition and means a draw in their final Group A game against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras, who sit top, would send both teams through.