Making his first start since the tournament, the Inter Miami captain struck twice in a 4-2 win over Atletico San Luis in their opening Leagues Cup group-stage match. The brace took Messi to the top of the competition’s all-time scoring charts, adding yet another milestone to his remarkable career as Inter Miami began their 2026 Leagues Cup campaign with an impressive victory at home. The FIFA World Cup may have concluded last month, but Lionel Messi has wasted no time getting back to breaking records.
Key Factors
The brace took his Leagues Cup tally to 14 goals in just 12 appearances, moving him one clear of Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. It was Messi’s first start since the FIFA World Cup, where he captained Argentina to a second successive final before the defending champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain. The 39-year-old had made his return as a substitute, playing 37 minutes in a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew.
Because of the result I want to congratulate all that manifested during the match and I’m very thankful for the effort that the team made, but we’re very happy. Messi found the net in the 11th and 44th minutes to inspire Inter Miami to victory and create another historic record. Telasco Segovia and defender Micael also got on the scoresheet, while Noah Allen starred with three assists as Miami stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches. Inter Miami interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos praised his players after the hard-fought victory, describing it as a physically demanding contest played in difficult conditions. He also highlighted the importance of opening the Leagues Cup campaign with a win. “This has been a very tough match in a very tough pitch with high humidity and we also felt the heat. That triumph is very important to us,” he added.
“I think it was a very exhausting match of a lot of ball possession, coming from both teams,” said interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos.
