25 September 2025
Argentine star Lionel Messi scored a brace and assisted another to lead his team, Inter Miami, to a resounding 4-0 victory over New York City FC in the 31st round of the Major League Soccer (MLS).
Baltasar Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 43rd minute after a magical pass from Messi, before the latter added the second goal in the 74th minute with a superb shot following a precise pass from Busquets.
Uruguayan Luis Suarez scored the third goal from a penalty kick (83), and Messi concluded the celebrations with a fourth goal in the 86th minute after a brilliant run and penetration into the penalty area.
With this victory, Inter Miami raised their score to 55 points, placing them third in the Eastern Conference, five points behind leaders Philadelphia Union, with two games in hand. New York City FC's score remained at 53 points in fifth place, ensuring their qualification for the playoffs.
Messi leads the scoring charts with 24 goals in 23 games, two goals ahead of Gabonese Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC). The Argentine star became the first player in MLS history to contribute 35 or more goals in two consecutive seasons (24 goals + 11 assists this season).
He scored two or more goals in eight of the last 12 league matches, becoming the fourth player to achieve this number in a single season.
Messi's tally now stands at 884 goals in his professional career with clubs and the Argentine national team, keeping pace with his rival, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads the all-time scoring list with 945 goals.
Messi needs 116 goals to reach the historic milestone of 1,000, while Ronaldo needs just 55 goals to consolidate his position at the top.
Messi is expected to continue participating in several important tournaments in the coming period, most notably the American League and the CONCACAF Champions League, in addition to leading the Argentine national team in the 2026 World Cup.
