Inter Miami started its Leagues Cup 2025 campaign with a 2-1 win against Atlas FC at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi, returning from a one-match suspension due to missing the MLS All-Star match, starred in the contest after assisting both the goals scored by the Herons.
Messi’s first assist came in the 58th minute, when he assisted Telasco Segovia’s goal, which opened the scoring for Miami. Sergio Busquets found Messi inside the Atlas box with a defence-splitting pass. With Atlas keeper, Camilo Vargas, already committing himself to take the ball from Messi, the latter had the presence of mind to square the ball to his teammate Segovio, who had the easiest of finishes from close distance.
Messi’s match-winning assist came deep in second-half stoppage time. He found Marcelo Weigandt with a deft pass from the left, with the right-back finishing an excellent Inter Miami attacking move, with a tap-in from point-blank range.
The goal was initially ruled out due to offside, but a VAR check confirmed that Weigandt was behind the ball when Messi passed it to him, and the decision was overturned, leading to Miami’s win and all three points for the Herons.
