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Lionel Messi continued his blistering start to life at MLS side Inter Miami with a brace in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 win at FC Dallas on Sunday (August 6). Chelsea legend John Terry reacted on the Argentine's Instagram post following the eight-goal thriller.
After opening the scoring in the sixth minute, Messi saw his team trailing at the break. Dallas made it 3-1 midway through the second half before Inter reduced arrears through Benjamin Cremashi two minutes later.
Dallas, though, restored their two-goal advantage with 22 minutes to go. Inter Miami got a lifeline when Martin Farfan put through his own net in the 80th minute. Five points from time, the stage was set for Messi to hog the limelight. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner didn't disappoint, curling home a sumptuous free kick to force penalties.
Messi was one of five Inter Miami players who scored in the ensuing shootout. The Herons won 5-3, with Cremashi netting the winning spot-kick, to book their place in the last eight. Following the win, Messi posted on Instagram (translated from Spanish):
"We fought until the last moment and at the end we got another win!! One more step. Thanks to all the people in Dallas for the love."
Terry responded with a couple of emojis, including a GOAT one. Here's the screenshot:
With his brace in Dallas, Messi is now up to seven goals in four games for his new side and is already their top-scorer in 2023.
Lionel Messi sets record after Dallas win
The records keep tumbling for seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, who has ventured outside European shores for the first time in his illustrious career.
The 36-year-old arrived from French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer for a new adventure on American shores with MLS side Inter Miami. He marked his debut with a sensational stoppage time free kick winner in a 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Cruz Azul.
Since then, Lionel Messi has netted three straight braces in as many starts, including the one against Dallas on Sunday. That made him the first player to score seven times in his first four games for an MLS club (as per Marca).
Interestingly, in all three games the Argentine has started, he has scored his first goal inside the eighth minute.
