Atlanta United troll Lionel Messi after beating Inter Miami 5-2 in MLS

Atlanta United took a cheeky dig at Lionel Messi after their 5-2 win over Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday, Saturday 16.

Inter Miami took the lead in the 25th minute via Leonardo Campana at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tristan Muyumba then restored parity in the 36th minute before Kamal Miller's own goal gave Atlanta the lead in the 41st minute.

Books Lennon scored just a minute before halftime to make it 3-1. Campana then converted a penalty in the 53rd minute to complete his brace and pull one back for the Herons. However, Giorgos Giakoumakis (76') and Tyler Wolff (89') completed the big win for Atlanta United.

Inter Miami were without Lionel Messi, who returned to Miami only recently after international duty with Argentina. He posted an Instagram story on Friday showing him getting a pizza with loads of tomatoes from an outlet in Miami.

After beating Inter Miami, Atlanta United took to Twitter to share a picture of a pizza where the tomatoes were arranged in the shape of an 'L', indicating Loss. They captioned the post:

"Here you have your pizza for the trip"

While he didn't feature in the game, this marked Inter Miami's first defeat since Lionel Messi's arrival in the summer. They are currently 14th in the Eastern Conference table in the MLS with 28 points.

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Roger Federer's heartfelt tribute to Lionel Messi

The Inter Miami star is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He has won seven Ballons d'Or and numerous other individual and team achievements throughout his career.

Lionel Messi captained Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph, winning the Golden Ball in the process. He was featured in the 'Titans' section of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2023. His tribute was written by tennis legend Roger Federer.

The Swiss wrote (via The Sports Rush):

"My career has just come to an end. I now realize how much weight we athletes carry. But in our daily lives, we don’t even realize it. For a football player like Messi, that weight likely feels more massive, as he represents both a world-renowned club and a very passionate country."

He added:

"Messi can inspire future generations. I can only hope we get to see his unique creativity and artistry for a little bit longer. Don’t blink too often as Messi performs on the pitch. You may miss something incredible from the man of the moment. Thank you, Leo."

Since arriving at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 11 games. He also helped them win the Leagues Cup and reach the US Open Cup final.