Inter Miami CF vs Atlanta United was billed as the sequel to last Friday’s historic Leagues Cup 2023 opener that saw the debut and last-minute free-kick winner of Lionel Messi for the Herons. The late strike against Cruz Azul meant that the World Cup winner scored against his 99th individual club, posing a potential milestone to be reached against Atlanta United.
Under the lights at DRV PNK Stadium, the moment came within the first ten minutes of the game, when former Barça teammate Sergio Busquets’ looped ball reached Messi, who managed to sneak it past Brad Guzan in off the rebound for his second goal for the club. On the 22nd minute-mark, Messi followed-up with his third goal in 56 minutes of play following some clever combinations with Robert Taylor, a fake run by Josef Martinez, and the finish by the Argentina captain.
The list of clubs that have fallen victim to Messi’s goal scoring capabilities grows with every game he now plays for Inter Miami in Leagues Cup action. Throughout his career Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Valencia, and Athletic Bilbao have felt the sting of his strikes, with 38, 32, 30, and 29 goals respectively. Rivals Real Madrid and Real Betis are not far behind on the list, both conceding 26 goals to the Argentine maestro. Outside of Spain, Messi has scored a total of 27 goals against English sides, specifically nine against Arsenal and nine strikes against Manchester City.
