Lionel Messi makes history as he sets record with goal for Inter Miami in draw vs Toronto FC

Lionel Messi wrote his name in the history books once again following his goal in Inter Miami's 1-1 draw against Toronto FC. The Argentinean was back in the starting XI for the Herons for Sunday's MLS game at the Chase Stadium.

The Florida-based club went behind in the game in the second minute of first half injury time, when Federico Bernardeschi put the ball in the back of the net. However, Inter Miami responded within three minutes, with Telasco Segovia finding La Pulga unmarked at the edge of the box.

Lionel Messi took one touch and unleashed a brilliant volley to get the Herons back into the game. In the process, the 37-year-old overtook his old national teammate Gonzalo Higuain to register the most goal contributions for the Florida-based club in MLS.

Interestingly, La Pulga achieved the feat in 38 fewer games. He now has 44 goal contributions in the league in 29 games since arriving in the summer of 2023.

Unfortunately, Lionel Messi failed to inspire Inter Miami to a win on Sunday. The Argentinean maestro has registered an injury-riddled start to the new campaign, but has still managed six goals and two assists from eight games so far.

The Herons are currently second in the MLS Eastern Conference table after six games, a point behind leaders Columbus, who have played a game more.

When does Lionel Messi's contract with Inter Miami expire?

Lionel Messi's contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of this year and he is yet to sign a new deal. The Argentinean has been indispensable for the Herons so far, and the club is likely to push for his renewal.

It was reported earlier this year that La Pulga could complete a sensational return to Barcelona in 2026. Journalist Alex Candal also stated that the player is eager to play at the new Camp Nou, further fueling talk of a move.

However, Balague has since refuted those claims on X.

“Couple of things on this story. Messi contract ends up at the end of the season. Messi has got no intention to return to Barcelona. I would say it is impossible while Laporta is in charge . Quite likely, Inter Miami will convince him to remain at the club,” wrote Balague.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner left Barcelona under unceremonious circumstances in the summer of 2021 to move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written close to 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5Million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer