Messi's Wildest Goals in Leagues Cup Championship Run

Messi's flurry of goals during the Leagues Cup tournament left some goalkeepers curled in a fetal position on the pitch.

By Naomi Feinstein

August 23, 2023

Inter Miami teammates hoist Lionel Messi following their win in the Leagues Cup final on August 19, 2023. Photo by Kevin Cox/Getty Images

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The Leagues Cup trophy has touched down at DRV Pink Stadium — the first piece of championship hardware for Inter Miami CF — following the team's nailbiting win over Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup championship on August 19.

The match went into penalty kicks with the game tied at 1-1. After Inter Miami came out on top in the penalty shootout 10-9 thanks to a leaping save by goalkeeper Drake Callender, the team will cash in the $2 million title prize and secure a stop in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League round of 16.

The championship comes courtesy of Lionel Messi, who has turned one of Major League Soccer's worst-performing squads into perhaps its best team in the course of roughly one month, with the help of Callender, newly signed coach Tata Martino, breakout star Robert Taylor, and a freshly supercharged roster that includes two of Messi's former teammates.

Launching kicks from far beyond the penalty box and finding angles that left goalkeepers' heads spinning, Messi scored ten goals in seven games and led Inter Miami to win every game since he stepped on the field for the start of the Leagues Cup.

If you missed any of the heroics or just want to bask in the glory once more, here are Messi's top five goals since he joined Inter Miami.

Dramatic Debut

The soccer legend surely was out to make his MLS debut memorable and he did just that. In the 94th minute, with the game tied at 1-1 against Cruz Azul, Messi sent a freekick over a wall of defenders into the upper left corner of the net in magnificent fashion.

LIONEL MESSI SCORES HIS 1ST GOAL AS A MEMBER OF INTER MIAMI 🔥

Miami wins 2-1 vs. Cruz Azul.

(via @MLS) pic.twitter.com/b48VcsqoS9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 22, 2023

Can't Stop the GOAT

Surrounded by a sea of yellow jerseys in the Leagues Cup championship, Messi scored his tenth MLS goal to give Inter Miami the lead in the 24th minute against Nashville SC.

This angle of Lionel Messi's goal.pic.twitter.com/VtgmT1dJl3
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) August 20, 2023

Thirty-Yard Strike

In a 4-1 win against Philadelphia Union in the Leagues Cup semifinals, Messi ripped a long-range shot past three defenders that diving goalie Andre Blake simply could not stop.

LIONEL MESSI IS GOING TO SCORE A MILLION GOALS IN MLS 🤣pic.twitter.com/FXZljzP0NI
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) August 15, 2023

One for the Road

Trailing FC Dallas by one goal in the Leagues Cup round of 16, Messi scored a mesmerizing free kick into the upper right corner of the net. Inter Miami went on to win in a penalty shootout.

LEAGUES CUP: FC Dallas v Inter Miami is just silly.

Looks scripted. Going to penalties.

🦩Messi 1-0 ('7)
🐂Quignon 1-1 ('37)
🐂Kamungo 2-1, '(45)
🐂Velasco 3-1, ('63)
🦩Cremaschi 3-2 ('65)
🐂Own goal 4-2 ('68)
🦩Own goal 4-3 ('80)
🦩Messi 4-4 ('85)pic.twitter.com/XLC7N4tQJw
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) August 7, 2023

Brilliant Volley Against Orlando

Evidently it doesn't take much time for Messi to get warmed up. Just seven minutes into Inter Miami's round of 32 match against Orlando City SC, Messi slid behind a couple of defenders, took a beautiful pass from Robbie Taylor off his chest, and kicked the ball right out of the air into the back of the net. He went on to score again in the 3-1 win.

4. Messi vs Orlando City

WHAT A GOAL pic.twitter.com/P06LjNWrXJ
— ZIAD IS HAPPY FOREVER  🇦🇷 (@Ziad_EJ) August 3, 2023

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Naomi Feinstein is a summer intern for Miami New Times. She is a rising junior at the University of Miami, where she is double-majoring in journalism and political science. She is also the senior editor of the UM student newspaper, The Miami Hurricane.

Contact: Naomi Feinstein

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Twitter: @naomifeinstein