Lionel Messi’s international farewell was barely four days old when he returned to work in pink. The former Paris Saint-Germain forward scored twice as Inter Miami swept aside DC United 4-0 on Saturday night, extending a remarkable individual season at the age of 39.
Quick facts
- Inter Miami beat DC United 4-0.
- Lionel Messi scored in the 47th and 60th minutes.
- Luis Suárez struck in the third and 39th minutes.
- Messi leads the MLS scoring chart with 23 goals and 13 assists.
- Miami moved up to second in the Eastern Conference, behind Nashville.
Suárez had put Miami in complete control before the interval, opening the scoring after three minutes and adding another in the 39th. Messi then took over after the break, finding the net twice in 13 minutes.
The Argentine had only recently brought down the curtain on his national-team career. In his final appearance for Argentina, a 3-0 win over Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium, he scored his 126th and last goal for the Albiceleste.
There was no sign, however, of a player slowing down at club level. Messi won the MLS regular-season Golden Boot in 2025 with 29 goals and is again setting the pace this term.
His total of 23 leaves him four clear of FC Dallas forward Peter Musa, while his 13 assists underline the scale of his influence on Miami’s attack. Messi is also in contention to win the Landon Donovan MVP award for a third time.
The result carried importance beyond the scoreline. Miami ended a five-match winless sequence and recorded their first clean sheet in 11 games.
With Nashville still leading the Eastern Conference, Miami’s climb to second gives their season fresh momentum after a difficult recent run.
