Messi shines as Inter Miami closes in on the top of MLS, Ronaldo also explodes with intensity.

On the morning of September 21st, Messi scored two goals and provided one assist, helping Inter Miami win their second consecutive game, defeating DC United 3-2 to close the gap on the top of MLS. On the same day, Ronaldo also scored a brace for Al Nassr and still has goals to come.

Báo Thanh niên•21/09/2025

Ronaldo calls, Messi answers.

Ronaldo scored a brace to help Al Nassr win convincingly against Al Riyadh 5-1 in the third round of the Saudi Pro League. Joao Felix also contributed a brace, with the remaining goal scored by Kingsley Coman.

Messi shines brightly, helping Inter Miami close in on the top of MLS, while Ronaldo also explodes with energy - Image 1.

Ronaldo scored a brace, and Messi responded with a brace and an assist - Photo: Reuters

This resounding victory gives Al Nassr a perfect start to the new season, and they are currently leading the league table with 9 points, tied with their rivals Al Ittihad (also with 9 points).

Ronaldo alone has scored 3 goals in the Saudi Pro League this season. In total, the 40-year-old Portuguese star has increased his career goals to 946, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca .

Ronaldo continues his unwavering pursuit of the historic milestone of 1,000 goals. "Three games, three wins. We want more!" Ronaldo emphatically stated in a message posted on social media.

On the same day Ronaldo scored spectacularly in Saudi Arabia, in the United States, Messi also shone brightly, responding immediately with a brace and an assist in Inter Miami's 3-2 victory over DC United.

This is the second consecutive match in which Messi has scored and assisted, helping Inter Miami secure a victory. In the previous match, the 38-year-old Argentinian star scored one goal and provided one assist in the 3-1 win against Seattle Sounders FC on September 17th.

Messi could have scored a hat-trick or four to five goals in Inter Miami's victory over DC United. However, besides missing at least two other clear chances that hit the crossbar, Messi also ceded a penalty kick to young player Mateo Silvetti in the 72nd minute, which he failed to convert.

This is also why Inter Miami had to struggle until the very last minutes of injury time to secure the victory, as DC United managed to narrow the score to 2-3 thanks to Jacob Murrell's goal in the 90+7th minute. Before that, Christian Benteke had also unexpectedly equalized for DC United in the 52nd minute.

Messi shines brightly, helping Inter Miami close in on the top of MLS, while Ronaldo also explodes with energy - Photo 2.

Messi overtakes Sam Surridge in the MLS top scorer race, with 22 goals compared to 21 - Photo: Reuters

Messi gave Inter Miami a 1-0 lead against DC United in the 35th minute with a perfect through-pass assist for Tadeo Allende to score. In the second half, after initially dominating possession, Inter Miami's defense made several mistakes, allowing Benteke to equalize in the 52nd minute.

Messi's subsequent efforts helped Inter Miami avoid a stalemate and potentially losing crucial points. In the 66th minute, Messi scored to give his team a 2-1 lead, before completing his brace in the 85th minute with a spectacular long-range strike to make it 3-1. This lead seemed poised for an easy victory for Inter Miami, but their defense faltered, allowing their opponents to pull one back to 2-3 in the seventh minute of added time.

With their thrilling victory, Inter Miami closed in on the top group in MLS with 52 points after 28 games, 8 points behind league leaders Philadelphia Union, but with 3 games in hand. Meanwhile, Messi overtook Sam Surridge in the MLS top scorer race, with 22 goals compared to his 21.

Messi has now scored a total of 30 goals and provided 13 assists in 37 games for Inter Miami this season. In MLS alone, that's 22 goals and 10 assists.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/messi-ruc-sang-giup-inter-miami-ap-sat-top-dau-mls-ronaldo-cung-bung-no-du-doi-185250921091011594.htm