Messi Makes History: Superstar Matches Mexican Icon's MLS Milestone While Leading Inter Miami to Victory
Lionel Messi keeps adding to his impressive MLS achievements with Inter Miami.
Though the 38-year-old from Argentina hasn't found the net in Miami's previous three contests and might be absent for the team's season finale at home, he delivered three assists during Saturday evening's commanding 4–1 victory against the New England Revolution.
This performance elevated him to 24 goals and 17 assists for the campaign, making him just the second player in the league's three-decade existence to surpass 40 goal contributions, behind only Mexican icon Carlos Vela, who achieved 49 with LAFC in 2019.
His display also pushed him to 100 goal contributions across all competitions for Inter Miami, accumulating 66 goals and 34 assists in merely 80 matches.
During an evening where Inter Miami celebrated Sergio Busquets's remarkable career, Messi once more dominated proceedings, orchestrating Tadeo Allende's 32nd-minute strike before combining with Jordi Alba for the Spaniard's double, a connection Busquets has witnessed countless times.
"[Messi] provided us the opportunity to break the deadlock and then seal [the victory]," manager Javier Mascherano commented after the match. "Not just with the pass to Jordi, but when [New England] pulled it back to 2–1, and immediately after with an assist that only he can deliver."
"This is standard for him," Allende, who netted twice alongside Alba's pair, remarked. "If he doesn't hurt you constantly with goals, then he damages you with assists."
Golden Boot in Question
While the assists propel Messi into goal contribution history and position him as a leading candidate for consecutive MLS MVP honors, his prospects in the Golden Boot competition might be diminishing.
Presently, Messi tops the charts with 24 goals, but likely has just one match left in his regular season schedule. In contrast, LAFC's Denis Bouanga has 23 goals, is performing excellently alongside Son Heung-min, and has four matches remaining, including Sunday's encounter with Atlanta United.
Despite all the achievements, however, it has been a frustrating campaign for the Herons, who started the season aiming for maximum silverware but have subsequently missed out on the FIFA Club World Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, MLS Supporters' Shield and Leagues Cup.
This leaves MLS Cup as the primary objective for the club and Messi's final opportunity to claim a trophy in 2025, with the Herons hoping to prevent a repeat of last season's opening-round elimination.
The 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs commence on Oct. 24 for Miami with a best-of-three format, likely facing the sixth or seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, following the Philadelphia Union's Supporters' Shield triumph and the right to meet the Eastern Conference Wild Card victor.