LIONEL Messi netted twice as Inter Miami defeated Nashville SC 3-1 in their opening Major League Soccer (MLS) play-off fixture in the early hours of today.
The Argentina captain was presented with the MLS Golden Boot before kick-off, with the league’s commissioner Don Garber saying the superstar had “reset the trajectory for Major League Soccer”.
After signing a new three-year contract with Inter Miami on Thursday, Messi was awarded the MLS Golden Boot, as top-scorer in the regular season with 29 goals, by Garber before his brace in a 3-1 win to begin the best-of-three first-round series.
The former Barcelona forward joined Inter Miami from Paris St-Germain in 2023 and while now 38 and in the latter stages of his career, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has continued to shine with his performances in the United States of America.
Named MLS Most Valuable Player in 2024 after registering 20 goals and 16 assists, Messi is in line to become the first player in the league’s history to win the award back-to-back after registering 29 goals and 20 assists in 28 appearances this season.
“I don’t think we ever could have imagined that Leo would have been able to deliver for this club, for this city and for this league the way he had,” Garber said.
“He has reset the trajectory for Major League Soccer and we were already doing pretty well. And I think having three more years is just going to be another gift.”
Messi and Inter Miami are now focused on winning the MLS’ top prize — the MLS Cup.
After topping the table to win the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, the franchise, part-owned by David Beckham and coached by Messi’s former teammate Javier Mascherano, came up short in the play-offs.
Inter Miami had to settle for third in the standings this season but made a winning start to their play-off campaign in game one of their first-round series.
Messi put them in front with a diving header in the 19th minute after a floated cross from ex-Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.
Tadeo Allende doubled the lead in the second half before Messi bundled the ball home from close range to make sure of the victory in stoppage time.
Nashville pulled one back through Hany Mukhtar in the 11th minute of added time but Inter Miami take a 1-0 series lead into game two in Nashville on November 1.
The series winners will progress to the Conference semi-finals, from which point just one match will decide who advances.
The MLS Cup final is also a one-off match.