Lionel Messi scored his second MLS goal of the season in style on Saturday in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union, getting on the scoresheet after a well-taken strike with his right food.
The impressive play started with Luis Suarez acting quickly to claim a loose ball in his own half and then making his way towards the opposition goal, making a well-timed pass in between a pair of Union players as they began to come into formation in the hopes of sniffing out Miami’s attack. Fafà Picault received Suarez’s pass and made his way closer to goal, sending the ball back Suarez’s way when the Uruguay international was yards from the penalty area.
Suarez, then, wasted no time spotting Messi to his right and sending the ball his way. The World Cup winner then out-manuevered the Union’s Ian Glavinovich and scored from an angle with his right foot.
Watch the strike below.
Messi scored just two minutes after coming on, marking his return from a short-term injury. He missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil this month with the injury, though his absence was not much of an issue – the reigning world champions won both of their games and qualified for the 2026 World Cup with five games to spare in South America’s qualification competition.
This is Messi’s second goal of the MLS season, though he has three more goals in Concacaf Champions Cup play this season. His first strike of the MLS campaign was just as, if not more, impressive, chipping Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan for the finish earlier this month in a 2-1 win.
Messi has missed a handful of games to start the season for Miami, with new head coach – and Messi’s former Barcelona teammate – Javier Mascherano doing what he can to manage the 37-year-old’s minutes. Even without Messi, though, Miami are off to an unbeaten start in MLS play and are currently leading the Supporters’ Shield race and area also through to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup, where they will face LAFC.
Messi, Djokovic meet in Miami
Messi appeared to celebrate his goal on Saturday by imitating a tennis serve, per a fan video from Chase Stadium, a potential nod to the fact that many of the world’s top tennis stars were in town for the Miami Open, which concludes on Sunday.
The soccer star was checked into the tennis tournament at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday to watch Novak Djokovic, the 24-time grand slam winner, as he beat Grigor Dimitrov to advance to Sunday’s final against Jakub Mensik. Djokovic said after Friday’s match that he had seen Messi play live before but that this was the first time the World Cup winner had watched him in person. Messi, his wife and children came to visit Djokovic in the locker room after the match, per the tennis star, and “exchanged gifts.”
Messi also met Andy Murray, the three-time grand slam winner and world No. 1 who is coaching Djokovic through the end of the Miami Open, who took a more humorous approach to his interaction with the soccer star. David Beckham, the retired soccer star who is now a co-owner of Inter Miami, commented on Murray’s post and wrote “I’m more than happy to translate that.”
“Obviously, it’s a thrill to have his whole family,” Djokovic said on Friday, per the Associated Press. “It’s a huge honor. He’s such a great athlete, not just a football player. His impact on the world of sports in the last 20 years has been immense. To have him watch me live brings me great joy and excitement and also a little pressure. It’s definitely different when he brings his family. I was touched by that.”
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