ATLANTA: Lionel Messi scored a second-half brace as Inter Miami CF beat Atlanta United FC 3-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, marking their third straight Major League Soccer (MLS) win.
Messi scored in the 56th and 60th minutes after Germán Berterame opened the scoring in the first half. Fafa Picault converted a late penalty for the hosts.
Miami reached 55 points on Wednesday to secure their playoff place. Meanwhile, Gerardo Martino’s Atlanta remained second from bottom in the Eastern Conference.
Berterame broke the deadlock in the 45th minute. Messi headed the ball towards Luis Suárez, whose lofted delivery found Berterame for a close-range header.
After the interval, Berterame returned the favour. Messi exchanged passes with the striker, worked through Atlanta’s defence, and finished with his left foot.
Four minutes later, Suárez released Messi into space. He beat Junior Alonso before placing his shot beyond goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos. Picault’s 89th-minute spot-kick reduced the deficit, but Atlanta could not recover.
Messi’s double took the 39-year-old to 25 goals this season, a league-leading total. He has scored in each of his last three matches.
His secondary assist on Berterame’s opener brought another milestone. Messi became the first MLS player to record at least 15 assists in three consecutive seasons, tying Los Angeles Football Club’s Son Heung-min atop the assists standings. Miami’s latest victory came under Cristian “Kily” González, who took charge last month.
Elsewhere, Minnesota United FC overturned a two-goal deficit to beat St. Louis CITY SC 3-2. Marcus Caldeira scored the winner in the 86th minute.
Read More: Messi and Suárez Score Twice as Inter Miami Win 4-0
Rafael Navarro and Jeong Sang-bin put St. Louis ahead before Aziel Jackson and Kelvin Yeboah brought Minnesota back to even.
Consequently, St. Louis’s unbeaten runs ended at 19 league matches and 21 across all competitions. The club had already secured its first playoff appearance since 2023.
Philadelphia Union, however, extended their unbeaten league sequence to 15 matches with a 2-2 home draw against Charlotte FC.
That result ended Philadelphia’s eight-match winning streak. Ryan Richter’s side have collected 39 points from a possible 45 during their undefeated run. Miami will next visit Red Bull New York at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on October 24.
(With additional input from AFP)
