Lionel Messi scored twice in Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory over Atlanta United.
Lionel Messi scored twice in four minutes as Miami secured a third straight win, while Minnesota ended St. Louis City’s unbeaten run.
A Lionel Messi brace helped Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 3-1 on Saturday, extending their winning run to three matches. The defending MLS champions had already secured a playoff place on Wednesday.
Messi struck in the 56th and 60th minutes after German Berterame opened the scoring just before halftime. Meanwhile, Atlanta managed only a late consolation through Fafa Picault’s penalty.
Messi brace strengthens Miami’s playoff momentum
Miami broke through in the 45th minute with a move involving Messi, Luis Suarez and Berterame. Messi headed the ball to Suarez, who escaped his defender and lifted a pass for Berterame to head home.
Berterame then supplied Messi for Miami’s second goal, finding the Argentine as he moved through Atlanta’s defence. Messi finished with his left foot from the centre of the penalty area.
Four minutes later, Suarez released Messi again, and the forward beat Junior Alonso before firing past goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos. That quick double put Miami firmly in control.
Picault converted an 89th-minute penalty, but Atlanta could not close the gap further. Gerardo Martino’s side remain second from bottom in the Eastern Conference, with time running out to reach the playoffs.
Miami, meanwhile, have won three consecutive games under Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez, who took charge last month. Messi has also scored four goals in three matches since his emotional Argentina send-off.
Messi leads goals and shares assists lead
The double took Messi to 25 league goals, strengthening his position at the top of the scoring chart. He now leads FC Dallas striker Petar Musa and Philadelphia’s Milan Iloski by six goals.
Messi also received an assist for his role in Miami’s opener, drawing level with LAFC’s Son Heung-min atop the assists standings. He is the first player in MLS history to register at least 15 assists in three consecutive seasons.
Minnesota end St. Louis City’s unbeaten streak
Elsewhere, Minnesota came from behind to beat St. Louis City 3-2, ending City’s 19-match unbeaten league run. Canadian Marcus Caldeira scored the winner in the 86th minute.
Rafael Navarro and Jeong Sang-bin had given St. Louis an early advantage. However, Aziel Jackson pulled one back in the 49th minute before Kelvin Yeboah equalised in the 68th.
St. Louis therefore missed the chance to claim the MLS unbeaten record outright. Their 19-match sequence leaves them sharing the mark with Columbus, Dallas and Inter Miami.
The defeat also ended City’s MLS-record 21-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Before Saturday, their previous league loss came at Austin on May 3, followed by 13 wins and six draws.
Despite the setback, St. Louis have already secured their first playoff appearance since 2023.
Philadelphia extend unbeaten run despite draw
Meanwhile, Philadelphia fought back at home to draw 2-2 with Charlotte, stretching their unbeaten league run to 15 matches. However, the result ended their sequence of eight straight MLS victories.
The Union have recorded 12 wins and three draws since their 6-4 defeat at Miami on May 24. They have also collected 39 of a possible 45 points since Ryan Richter became interim head coach during the league’s World Cup break.
