Lionel Messi leads MLS side Inter Miami to Leagues Cup win against Nashville SC
As he helped his Inter Miami team win their first championship, Lionel Messi—dubbed the “best in the world”—scored his 10th goal in seven games.
In the League Cup final, the 36-year-old Argentine gave Miami the lead over Nashville SC by firing into the top corner from outside the penalty area.
In the second half, Fafa Picault equalized to force overtime and penalties.
Drake Callender turned back Elliot Panicco’s penalty shot for Nashville, giving Miami the 10-9 victory that ended the shootout.
Before World Cup-winning forward Messi and former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets arrived in Miami last month, Miami had the worst record in Major League Soccer this season.
They have now gone seven games without a loss as they pursue the League Cup, a competition between MLS and Liga MX teams from Mexico.
Since the club’s founding in 2020, it was its first trophy.
When they take on Cincinnati in the US Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday, they also have a chance to advance to a different final.
The former Barcelona trio, according to co-owner David Beckham, were crucial to the team’s turnaround: “Watching these players play is like watching a movie; everything about their play is beautiful on an emotional level.”
Spanish midfielder Busquets continued, “We are thrilled with the team’s rapid growth.
We are assembling a strong squad, but Leo, the finest in the world, makes a difference.
The victory marked a seven-time Messi, the player of the competition and winner of the Ballon d’Or, now has 44 trophies under his belt, more than any other player.
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