Five goals, two straight braces and three straight wins? Those are GOAT numbers – which means they’re Lionel Messi’s numbers, too.
Arguably the greatest to ever to do it showed once again that scoring and carrying your new team can be about as easy as breathing when you have other-worldly talent.
Orlando City SC became his latest victims as he netted twice for Inter Miami CF in Wednesday night’s 3-1 Leagues Cup Round-of-32 win that continued Messi’s dream start to life with the Herons. It also set up a Round-of-16 date for Sunday, Aug. 6 at FC Dallas, who advanced earlier in the night thanks to a 2-1 win over Liga MX side Mazatlán.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner wasted little time at DRV PNK Stadium, chesting down a sublime ball from Robert Taylor before slamming a shot past ‘keeper Pedro Gallese to open the score in the 7th minute. After Orlando leveled on César Araújo’s 17th-minute strike, Miami retook the lead in the 51st minute via Josef Martínez’s penalty-kick goal.
The Venezuelan then set up Messi in the 72nd minute, lifting a ball inside the box for the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion to put the game away with a close-range volley.
Three games in, and Lionel Messi is already the undisputed King of South Florida.
