Following his debut match, in which he scored a spectacular free-kick goal and secured a 2-1 victory against Cruz Azul, Messi made his first start for Atlanta United.
Messi opened the scoring for Inter Miami from a pass by Busquets.
In his official match appearance, Messi helped Inter Miami achieve a historic first-ever 3-goal lead in the first half. Furthermore, the stadium was packed with fans watching the Argentinian superstar. Among them were famous American celebrities such as rapper Diddy, DJ Khaled, Camila Cabello, and the Beckhams.
In this match, both Messi and Busquets were substituted in the second half as their team secured a decisive victory. While Messi was leaving the field, an unexpected incident occurred when a fan wearing an Inter Miami shirt rushed onto the pitch to approach him, despite attempts by security to stop him.
Messi scored 3 goals in 2 matches for Inter Miami in the 2023 League Cup.
Messi started the match, but Inter Miami's performance wasn't entirely convincing in the opening minutes. Atlanta had one goal disallowed due to offside.
It wasn't until the 8th minute that Messi and his teammates truly clicked, with Busquets delivering a sublime pass to the Argentine superstar, who beat the opposing goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. It began with a shot hitting the post before Messi tapped the ball in to beat goalkeeper Guzan.
Messi celebrates with his teammates after scoring a brace.
In the 22nd minute, Messi doubled the home team's lead with a beautiful combination play with his winger Robert Taylor.
Before the end of the first half, Messi played a through pass from midfield to Taylor, who made it 3-0. In the final 45 minutes, the Finnish winger scored a brace to seal a 4-0 victory for Inter Miami.
The stands were packed with spectators watching the Inter Miami match, and Messi was the center of attention.
With this victory, Miami secured the top spot in Group 3 of the Southern Conference to advance to the playoffs. The 2023 League Cup has 15 groups (3 teams per group), with the top two teams from each group advancing. The next stage of the tournament will take place in August.
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