Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami with the kind of evening that has followed him from Buenos Aires to Florida: two goals, a 4-0 MLS win over DC United and another step towards the 1,000-goal landmark.
In his first club appearance after an emotional Argentina farewell at the Monumental, Messi took his career total to 934 official goals. The 39-year-old is now 66 short of four figures, one of the remaining individual milestones in a career already crowded with them.
Suárez opens the way before Messi takes over
Inter Miami had already built a commanding first-half lead through Luis Suárez. The Uruguayan struck in the third minute and added his second in the 39th, giving the visitors control before the interval.
Messi made it 3-0 two minutes into the second half, meeting a pass from Suárez and finishing the move. His second arrived in the 60th minute, when he carried the ball beyond defenders, entered the area and found the net to complete the rout.
The pair’s combination once again supplied the decisive moments for Miami, with Suárez providing both the early authority and the assist for Messi’s first goal.
From the Monumental back to MLS
The match came only days after Messi’s farewell with Argentina, following Tuesday’s game against Benin in Buenos Aires. The Monumental in Núñez staged a night of tributes for the national-team captain, with supporters moved by the occasion and music previously associated with Diego Maradona adding to the emotion.
Miami’s victory brought the focus swiftly back to the club season. Messi remains central to the team’s MLS campaign and has continued to score at a prolific rate in the United States.
His Inter Miami contract runs until 2028, leaving time for the Argentine to pursue the 1,000-goal mark while continuing a club chapter that follows his long international era with Argentina.
