Lionel Messi is back.
The Argentina superstar scored two goals in the first half of Inter Miami's Leagues Cup match against Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday, Aug. 5. He now has the most Leagues Cup goals all-time.
The first came in the 11th minute after the Liga MX side already scored at Nu Stadium in Miami. Noah Allen kicked a pass from the left side of the pitch. Messi received it in front of the net and struck the ball straight forward for the equalizer. To celebrate, the 39-year-old took the ball under his arm and high-fived his teammates while grinning widely.
Lionel Messi is BACK for @InterMiamiCF!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 5, 2026
First-time finish for the equalizer vs. Atlético San Luis 👏
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/42t4HpB0fp pic.twitter.com/nBQ63LBwF8
Telasco Segovia put Inter Miami up 2-1 with a goal of his own.
Then, in the 44th minute via a play similar to Messi's first goal, Allen sent a pass from the left of the pitch to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner near the middle of the net. This time, Messi dribbled forward a few steps before shooting the ball in for his second goal of the night. The score was his 14th in Leagues Cup matches, giving him the record.
But wait, there's more! 💥
Messi scores his second goal of the first half vs. San Luis 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vCmwoydGkF— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 6, 2026
And that's not all! Messi contributed to Inter Miami's final goal of the first half when he sent a corner kick into play. Micael dos Santos Silva nailed the header to put the side up 4-1.
Messi from the corner, and Micael gets 🆙 for the header!@InterMiamiCF take a 4-1 lead into halftime of their first @LeaguesCup game. pic.twitter.com/UIJpW2oyK2
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 6, 2026
Messi's Leagues Cup record comes on the heels of his 2026 World Cup performance in which Argentina finished second, just short of defending its 2022 title. Argentina lost to Spain in the final after beating England, Switzerland, Egypt and Cape Verde in nail-biters during the knockout rounds. Messi became the all-time World Cup scorer after finishing with 21 goals overall and eight this summer. He was passed by Kylian Mbappé, who scored 10 times to reach a career total of 22 World Cup goals and win his second straight Golden Boot.
Messi's first game for Inter Miami after the World Cup was in MLS play on Saturday, Aug. 1. He was a substitute in the 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi set Leagues Cup goals record with two scores for Inter Miami
