Lionel Messi double fires Inter Miami to winning Leagues Cup start
Messi becomes Leagues Cup's all-time top scorer
MIAMI: Lionel Messi produced another memorable display, scoring twice as Inter Miami defeated Mexico's Atletico San Luis 4-2 to begin their 2026 Leagues Cup campaign with victory here at Nu Stadium on Wednesday.
The Argentine captain also etched his name into the competition's history books by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in the Leagues Cup.
His brace took his tally to 14 goals, surpassing the previous record in the tournament featuring clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX.
The visitors made a dream start when David Rodriguez fired Atletico San Luis into the lead after just four minutes, silencing the home crowd.
However, Miami responded swiftly through Messi, who restored parity in the 11th minute with a composed finish.
The hosts continued to dominate proceedings, and Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia completed the turnaround by putting Inter Miami ahead in the 26th minute.
Messi struck again moments before the interval to extend Miami's advantage, before Brazilian defender Micael added a fourth deep into first-half stoppage time, leaving Atletico San Luis with a mountain to climb.
The Mexican side managed to reduce the deficit after the break when Rafa Llorente found the net, but it proved to be no more than a consolation as Inter Miami comfortably saw out the remainder of the contest.
The victory gives Miami an ideal start to their latest Leagues Cup campaign, with Messi once again proving decisive on the big stage.
Elsewhere in Wednesday's opening group-stage fixtures, FC Dallas secured a 2-0 victory over Queretaro, while Club Leon claimed a hard-fought 1-0 away win against Nashville SC.
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