Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass performance on Saturday night, scoring twice and providing two assists in Inter Miami’s dominant 5-1 victory over the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.
The win comes just two weeks before Miami face Egyptian champions Al Ahly in their opening match of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup on June 14.
It also marked a return to form for Javier Mascherano’s side, following a midweek 4-2 win over CF Montreal.
Messi, 37, was at the heart of everything for Miami. In the 13th minute, he dropped deep to launch a perfectly weighted long pass to Argentine forward Tadeo Allende, who coolly finished to open the scoring.
Just two minutes later, Columbus goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen, filling in for the injured Patrick Schulte, made a costly error. His misplaced pass went straight to the Argentine, who chipped the scrambling keeper to make it 2-0.
Messi struck again in the 24th minute, latching onto a clever lofted ball from Sergio Busquets before lobbing Hagen for his second of the night and Miami’s third.
Columbus pulled one back in the 58th minute through a powerful header by Cesar Ruvalcaba, but Miami quickly reestablished control. The eight times Ballon d’Or winner pierced the Crew’s defense with a pass to Telasco Segovia, who set up Luis Suarez for a tidy finish.
The final goal came in the 77th minute when Messi assisted substitute Fafa Picault, who sprinted clear and slotted past Hagen to seal the emphatic win.
Now heading off on international duty with Argentina, Messi will play in World Cup qualifiers against Chile (June 5) and Colombia (June 10), with Argentina having already secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Inter Miami’s back-to-back victories signal renewed momentum ahead of their Club World Cup challenge and reinforce Messi’s continued dominance on the pitch.
