Lionel Messi once again proved his enduring brilliance on Wednesday night, scoring twice to lead Inter Miami to a dramatic 3-1 win over Los Angeles FC and secure a place in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Miami, trailing 2-0 on aggregate early in the match, pulled off an inspired comeback, with Messi’s late penalty clinching a 3-2 aggregate victory in a match filled with tension, intensity and moments of high drama.
At 37, the Argentine legend showed not just his trademark technical finesse, but also a fierce competitive spirit—tracking back, tackling, and throwing himself into the contest right to the final whistle.
Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano, Messi’s former teammate for both Argentina and Barcelona, praised the forward as the heartbeat of the side.
“He’s the soul of the team,” said Mascherano. “He’s already achieved everything in football, yet still sets an example for how to compete. He will always give his all to win—he has that hunger and the ability to make the difference.”
The night started ominously for Miami, who came into the second leg 1-0 down from their visit to California. Their situation worsened just nine minutes in when Aaron Long pounced in a penalty box scramble to double LAFC’s advantage on aggregate.
The away goal meant Miami needed three goals to progress, due to the competition’s away goals rule.
Messi thought he had responded immediately with a cheeky quick free-kick that caught LAFC keeper Hugo Lloris off guard, but the goal was chalked off after the referee deemed the wall wasn’t properly set.
Still, the equaliser soon came. Messi exchanged passes with long-time friend and teammate Luis Suárez before curling a clinical finish into the far corner in the 35th minute.
Despite needing two more goals, Miami pressed on, even as LAFC remained a threat on the counter, with Denis Bouanga causing repeated problems for the defence.
Miami’s second came just after the break when Noah Allen lofted a ball into the box, bypassing both Federico Redondo and Lloris as it nestled into the net, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2.
A third appeared to have arrived when Suárez headed in from a Messi cross, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
The decisive moment came with just six minutes of regular time remaining. Amid a chaotic scramble in the penalty area, VAR spotted a handball by LAFC’s Marlon, and the referee pointed to the spot.
Messi stepped up and coolly converted, sealing a famous comeback for Miami and sending the home fans into raptures.
LAFC boss Steve Cherundolo rued his side’s failure to kill off the tie.
“We had chances to put the game beyond doubt,” he said. “But then it got frantic—there were the usual antics, arguments with referees… that’s the standard here.”
Mascherano acknowledged his side’s imperfections but praised their fighting spirit.
“We still have a lot to improve,” he admitted. “But this is the right way—giving 100%, even with mistakes, but never giving up. We kept fighting until the end.”
