It’s almost impossible to find the words to describe Lionel Messi at this point in his career, as he continues to stun crowds in every competition he plays at 39 years old.
Making his first start since the 2026 World Cup final Wednesday, the Argentine scored a first-half brace as Inter Miami downed Liga MX’s Atlético de San Luis to open the 2026 Leagues Cup, kickstarting the Herons’ search for a second title in the competition, after winning in Messi’s first weeks in 2023.
San Luis, a team part of Atlético Madrid’s global setup, opened the scoring early with a goal from David Rodríguez, the player famed for scoring a bicycle kick in the snow at last year’s Canadian Premier League final with Atlético Ottawa. Yet, that goal only sparked an onslaught from Miami, with Messi scoring a deft volley in the 11th minute to tie the match, before Telasco Segovia grabbed the lead at the 26-minute mark.
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
Making the most of left back Noah Allen, who posted three assists in the first half, Messi grabbed a second goal in the 44th minute, before center back Micael netted the Herons’ fourth goal just moments before halftime. While Rafa Llorente scored a screamer from distance to bring San Luis back within a pair, it wasn’t enough to topple the 2025 Leagues Cup runners-up.
With the brace, Messi became the all-time goalscoring leader in Leagues Cup with 14 goals in 12 games, stepping up as his side starts a tournament with no available proven strikers, given Germán Berterame’s injury and Luis Suárez’s suspension.
Here are Sports Illustrated's takeaways from the opening victory.
Messi Doesn’t Miss a Beat
It seems as if any time Messi steps on the pitch for Miami, he breaks some type of record. On Wednesday, he became the Leagues Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer and secured a dominant victory in his first start back from the biggest disappointment in the late stages of his illustrious career.
His ability to take control of the game was the most notable factor. Starting up top with standout Inter Miami academy product Dániel Pintér, Messi was tasked with creating and executing almost all of the attack. Pintér, as much progress as he has shown, is still young and unable to drive a frontline himself—and with Suárez and Berterame unavailable, all attacking hopes fall on Messi.
The volleyed finish on a slick pass from Allen was the type of goal few others could come up with, and the darting run the Argentine made as he rushed into the box was so elusive that it left him largely unmarked for a split second and gave him the chance to finish. Outside of his brace, he posted five shots and picked up the assist on Micael’s goal for a classic Messi performance.
But wait, there's more! 💥
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 6, 2026
Messi scores his second goal of the first half vs. San Luis 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vCmwoydGkF
How many more times will Messi be able to do that? How far can he take them in this tournament? Time will come for all at some point, but it’s more clear than ever that it’s still far from claiming the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“The guys were showing me the first goal he scored and how he made that shot. It was something very complicated,” said manager Guillermo Hoyos after the match. “Anyone who plays football knows how difficult it is to have that precise and clinical space and timing.
“And to place that ball that is coming from the left to the right, and shoot it to the right ... if we were talking about painting, I will call him Picasso”
Casemiro’s Vision Helps Allen, Messi
Apple TV color commentator and former player Maurice Edu might have described it best when he said that Casemiro plays in this Inter Miami team “with a cigar in his mouth,” when describing how suave and calmly the Brazilian dictates the game for the Herons.
On the opening goal, which was highlighted by Allen’s pinpoint cross and Messi’s impeccable finish, the creation came from a cross-pitch slicing through ball from Casemiro. It was one of the 12 passes the former Premier League and La Liga man sent into the final third in a match where he didn’t look like he needed to break out of second-gear, but still was able to make a massive impact.
Gooool!! Micaeeel! 🤩🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/iXIcyfkDYY
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 6, 2026
While San Luis’ defensive setup didn’t pose the biggest threat, Casemiro’s potential with Miami has grown each time he has been on the pitch. These were the first significant minutes he’s played with Messi, and it was jaw-dropping—all while helping Allen look closer to Jordi Alba than he ever has.
And as much as he has influenced the team’s attacking transition, his defensive awareness continues to stand out, as he led the game with nine defensive contributions and posted six recoveries.
Miami Needs Real Striker Depth
Late in the game, after attacking midfielder Mateo Silvetti left the match due to a dislocated shoulder, Messi leaned over to clench his right hamstring, while grimacing his face for all to see on the global broadcast. For an Inter Miami team already without immense goalscoring depth, the idea of losing Messi could be massively detrimental, especially if he is less than 100% in the next two Leagues Cup matches.
Yet, the whole night highlighted a bigger problem: Miami needs some cheap striker depth.
In MLS this season, Miami has relied upon a thrilling and unexpected offensive explosion from 39-year-old Suárez and made a marquee offseason acquisition to bring in Berterame, who has not lived up to expectations even before suffering an injury against CF Montréal. What Miami doesn’t have is a relatively low-salaried, but serviceable forward who can slide into the striker position—and it leaves Hoyos forced to play a player, like Pinter or Messi, out of their best positions.
Inter Miami is focused on superstars and the academy is showing some hope. But, as much as it might not be headline news, this is a team that could use a depth MLS striker as a rather simple summer acquisition. Or maybe, go completely off the beaten path and sign a top USL Championship talent, like Curaçao’s Jurgen Locadia, who has nine goals this season for nearby Miami FC, or MLS veteran and current El Paso Locomotive striker Rubio Rubín, to fill the void.
What’s Next for Inter Miami?
Inter Miami’s hunt for the 2026 Leagues Cup continues on Saturday night as the Herons welcome CF Monterrey to Nu Stadium. Rayados, Berterame’s former club, now have Hugo Cuypers up top, having signed the Belgian star after he scored 13 goals to start the MLS season with Chicago Fire, but lost his role in the team after the Illinois-based side inked Robert Lewandowski.
After the Monterrey clash, Miami will host Club León on Aug. 12, with hopes of securing a top-four finish among the 18 participating MLS teams in Leagues Cup, which could pave the way to the knockout stages and a potential trophy run, as well put them within two wins of qualifying for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
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